Stay
by fuzzydream
Summary: Modern AU. Life can always come up with a few surprises. (Rating should change in a few chapters) (completely A/B, but with other characters' appearances as well)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So this has been on the works for a while. I wrote a big part of this chapter months ago, but gave up on the idea and decided to get back to it a few weeks ago. This has been the result. I realized I haven't written any modern story in over a year so decided it was time to go back to it. I have a few chapters ready so I hope to update regularly - so long as I get encouragement from readers of course! :) Special thanks to Terrie (I know this one was hard to edit) and to theglamourfades, who helped me out in a few details with the story. This is really more of a long prologue, but I hope you'll like it. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Downton Abbey. You know the deal.

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**Stay** by fuzzydream

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_Chapter One_

The music was loud against her ears and the liquid was hot down her throat; she yelped and got the lemon and the salt, screwing her face when the acid hit her tongue. Someone was hitting the table and she heard Sybil's loud laughter before she opened her eyes again and threw her arms up in the air. Anna let out a deep breath before turning her head to watch Mary down her own drink.

She looked around in wonder, the room spinning slightly as she got used to the atmosphere – the lights had just turned from red to green in the dark bar, and she blinked slowly twice before shaking her head when Louise, one of Mary's friends from college, offered her another shot. She decided three shots of tequila were quite enough for now, but maybe later. She hadn't been very keen when Sybil suggested a night out before her sister's wedding now she vaguely thought this was much fun indeed.

Ripon was hardly a big city, but the club was relatively crowded as it was summertime and she supposed many people were in town for Mary's wedding, it being such a huge event; the small dance floor was definitely filled with people, and so was the bar, though her vision was becoming a bit hazy. There was also a big horseracing event in town, and that seemed to bring more people than the town was used to seeing. Being a local Yorkshire girl herself, Anna had been surprised to see their small get together turn into clubbing in a matter of minutes.

"Are you gonna tell Matthew we came here tonight?" Sybil asked Mary in a loud voice, to which her sister responded with two thumbs down, her eyes far too sparkly to deem sobriety.

They laughed, and Anna took a sip of her cocktail, its sweetness erasing the taste of salt from her mouth.

"This is just a nice, simple outing with the girls," Mary said slowly, her voice slightly acute. "How was I to know we would see all these jockeys here?" she joked, then looked at Anna. "There's your chance to find the love of your life, Anna."

Anna shook her head as she took another sip of her drink. "No way. I didn't move all the way to Oxford to fall in love in _Ripon_, of all places."

"Yes, because you've been doing so well in Oxford," Mary arched her eyebrows. "Come on, you might as well have some fun while you're here."

"Matthew's best man seems very nice," Sybil mentioned nonchalantly.

"Who, Tom? God, no. Spare me that, Anna, please. His ideas are too revolutionary for my taste," Mary frowned. "There are better fish to fry," she stood up suddenly. "Let's go dance."

Her father used to say it was a huge mistake to drink while sitting down, and when Anna stood up to join Mary, she understood it immediately. Without giving it much thought, she drank the rest of her cocktail and followed Mary to the dance floor.

It was far too easy to surrender to the music there; she couldn't even remember the last time she had done so. She was having a better time in Yorkshire than she thought; having taken a week from work to help Mary with the wedding, she would split up her time between Downton Abbey and her mum's house in Thirsk. It was especially nice being home, even if they were all in the midst of celebrating Mary's wedding, which came with a lot of stress and demand. Still, her job was so quiet sometimes that it was freeing to let go – even if only for a few hours.

She stopped by the bar after a few minutes, breathless and with a smile on her lips. She checked her watch, waiting for the bartender, and frowned when she couldn't see the numbers on it, vaguely thinking that maybe she had indeed drank too much but then remembering she wasn't wearing her contact lens.

"It's a quarter past one," a voice reached her ears, just a tone or so below the music so she could hear. The man next to her at the bar was checking his watch.

"Thank you," Anna said slowly. She tried getting the bartender's attention again. The man next her seemed amused. "I'm not so drunk that I can't read the time, just so you know. Glasses don't go well with this outfit."

He turned more now, and she could see his face better, even though it was dark. He eyed her, just for a moment, and she felt suddenly very self-conscious. He wasn't bad looking at all; dark hair but she couldn't make out the colour of his eyes in this room – his clothes were casual but still fit him very well, and he was older than her, though she wasn't sure how much older.

"I doubt anything wouldn't go with your outfit," he mentioned with a slight smile, bringing the whiskey glass to his lips. "Though I'm not exactly a fashion expert."

She smiled slightly. "I'd imagine you are not," the bartender walked over to where she was standing, finally, with a questioning look. "A mojito, please."

She took a deep breath and turned briefly to check on where her friends were, waving weakly to Sybil. She felt the stranger's eye on her and met his gaze with a slight smile. She supposed a bit of conversation couldn't hurt. He was hardly her type, but she wasn't looking for anyone, anyway.

"So what are you doing here by yourself?" she found herself asking.

"Came with a friend for drinks. He's taking his time in the loo though. I didn't think it would be this crowded here," he explained, then held out his hand. "I'm John."

His handshake was firm. "Anna."

"So what brings you here?" he asked as he drank the rest of his whiskey. Anna took a sip of her new mojito.

"Just out with friends," she answered simply.

"Anna!" a voice stammered behind her, and she turned to see a vaguely familiar face. She froze. Matthew's best man. "It's Anna, right? I'm Tom. We met today?"

She let go of the straw between her lips and smiled. "Oh, right! What a… surprise to see you here!"

"I can say the same," he looked from her to John. "So you know John too?"

"We just met," John answered for her, and Anna merely agreed.

"Well, I best get back there and find my friends," Anna said slowly. "It was nice seeing you."

With one last smile, she went back to the dance floor to find Mary, which hadn't been very hard; she had figured Mary wouldn't be keen on staying there while Matthew's best friend was around – if Tom saw her there there would be too many questions and no satisfactory answer, no matter how innocent the idea had been.

"It's late anyway. Gotta be up early tomorrow. I'll go back home," Mary reasoned, shrugging slightly and drinking the rest of what was left in her glass. "Will you stay?"

"I'll go too," Louise decided.

"Well, I want to stay. I have no reason to go home this early," Sybil pouted.

"Okay, I'm going too," Anna said, drinking the rest of her mojito down.

Mary shook her head. "You should stay, have some fun," she insisted, then added: "Keep an eye on Sybil for me."

"I can take care of myself just fine, Mary," Sybil intervened, but Anna understood Mary's meaning.

While normally she would argue, Anna nodded – she was having a good time and it was not so late, after all; she could hardly say she went out so much in Oxfordshire, and it was a miracle itself to have her friends together on a night like this one. Sybil was fun to be around, even if sometimes far too eager, and she might as well make the most of the situation. As maid of honour, she had been helping Mary and Cora with the wedding preparations, as much as she could from Oxford, meeting them both in London often. She could use a bit of relaxing time before going through the final details tomorrow at Downton Abbey.

So with that, Mary was gone, dragging Louise with her. The music was enthralling as she danced, and soon Sybil volunteered to get them some drinks, but she had been gone far longer than necessary, which prompted Anna to look for her. She soon found her by the bar, a drink in her hand, talking to Tom and John – of course she knew them. Adjusting her hair ever so slightly, she walked over to them, aware that she was still catching her breath from dancing and she was probably a bit sweaty. Sybil smiled when she approached them.

"Anna! I was just ordering your drink when I saw Tom and Bates," she said in a cheery voice.

"It's no problem, I can use the break," she said dismissively.

"So Anna, are there not many Yorkshire girls with you here tonight?" Tom asked in a teasing voice, and Anna rolled her eyes while Sybil giggled.

"Are we not good enough for you, Tom Branson?" Anna let out a laugh.

"I am not complaining. Are you, John?"

The older man shrugged then held up his hands in surrender, a slow smile crossing his features. "I most definitely am not."

He winked at her almost unnoticeably so, and Anna suddenly felt a wave of warmth hit her, as their eyes locked, his intense gaze enough to make her blush, though she supposed the alcohol inhibited her a bit. He was a quiet man, she could see that, and he didn't seem to particularly like her – friendly, but not over friendly either, unlike most guys one would meet in a night like this. He was different. She was intrigued.

"All right, so who wants to dance?" Tom's voice broke her reverie, and she smiled politely before shaking her head.

"I'll pass for now. I still need my drink, you know!" she addressed Sybil, who shrugged and followed Tom to the dance floor. Sliding onto the barstool Sybil had vacated, Anna chanced a glance at John. "You're not joining them?"

He shook his head immediately. "I don't dance."

She frowned, perplexed. "Really?"

"Well, not that," he pointed at the dance floor behind him. "I guess one could say that's not my kind of music."

"It doesn't have to be. You just have fun," she said softly. "I find it very freeing."

He took a sip of his whiskey and regarded her with a somewhat enigmatic smile. "Do you, now?"

"I do," she said resolutely, "and I shall drag you there with me if Sybil takes her time, so you have been warned."

"We'll see about that," he shook his head and chuckled. "Maid of honour, then?"

"The one and only," she nodded. "You?"

"Family friend," he explained. "I should bow to you, planning a wedding with Mary and Cora for months. They can be a handful. I speak from personal experience."

Anna smiled. "You tell me! It's no wonder I needed to go out tonight."

They exchanged an understanding smile, and he called for the bartender for her before turning on his seat, nearly facing her. Her eyes flickered slightly to his left hand; he wasn't wearing a wedding ring. A slow thrill ran through her veins.

"Let me buy you a drink," he offered in a quiet voice, his dark eyes bare to her.

She was absolutely unable to say no.

* * *

Anna giggled loudly as he burst the door open, almost tripping in consequence, and he shushed her with a smile; she mimicked his gesture, fighting the urge to kiss his lips again. A bout of clarity ran through her mind – were they really going to do this? The whole night was already almost a haze to her; John had bought her a drink, and they got to talking – he really was an interesting man. History professor, he had said. Lived in London. Friends with Mary's father. It was unlike her to do this, but there was something about him that made her intrigued.

She had managed to drag him to the dance floor, even though he had not been very willing. She couldn't remember laughing so much in so few minutes – he looked absolutely mortified, but she supposed the whiskey had made him loosen himself up after a few songs. She vaguely remembered Sybil saying she would go home and Anna found herself dancing closer to John, feeling his hands lingering on her waist and pulling him down for a kiss; if she hadn't yet lost track of time she did so in that moment. It sealed the deal. She asked him to go home and he acquiesced.

Now, they needed to be quiet – he was staying at Downton and the house was completely silent when they arrived. He led her through the back entrance, and she followed him downthe dark corridors until they found a narrow staircase. Her heels clicked against the floor and she flinched ever so slightly.

"I better take these off," she managed to say in a whisper, letting go of his hand and holding his shoulder for support as she leaned down to take her shoes off. She lost her balance after both her feet touched the floor, but he had been quick to hold her. He must be a few stairs behind, as they were almost the same height. She giggled.

"I told you not to drink that last mojito," he whispered as she laced her hands at the back of his neck, leaning closer to him.

She frowned dramatically. "You, John Bates, made me a little bit tipsy."

He chuckled at her slightly blurred words. "At least you still remember my name."

"Good point," she touched her nose with his and smiled slowly, her eyes glistening in mischief. "Do you remember mine?"

"Yes. Anna," he brushed his lips on hers softly, pulling away before she could react to him. "Smith. I don't know your middle name."

"May. Not April," she answered, giggling at the bad joke, rolling her eyes at herself as she said so. "I must be out of my mind to say that."

"Anna May Smith. It suits you," John said conversationally, and she sighed as his hands lowered on her back. "Not April. Or June."

"Are you going to kiss me or not?"

He did, almost tentatively so; his kiss was slow and soft and she felt dizzy the moment their tongues met, happily letting him work his magic, even though it didn't seem difficult – she had gone almost limp in his arms, savouring his lips upon her and definitely enjoying the moment. He left her lips to plant small kisses over her jaw, and she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, the feeling of his mouth on her skin almost too much to handle. When he finally pulled away, she opened her eyes – and could only see the mischievous glint in his, standing there on the dark narrow staircase. She let go of him to get her shoes in one hand and he reached for her free one, now walking up the stairs side by side, hurriedly so.

She was running out of patience, which was punctuated by tugging at his hand and stopping him along the way two or three times, one of which had even made her let go of her shoes, falling with a thud on the floor, his hands squeezing her waist and bringing her closer as their kisses grew deeper and deeper. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or his touch and his lips, but her head was spinning – she wasn't willing to stop, though.

The halls were empty when they reached John's door, and once inside the confines of the bedroom it was far easier to give into the freedom it presented. She was quick to push his jacket off his shoulders, and he undid the messy bun she had pulled her hair into hours earlier, his fingers running through her locks in a slow manner. They reached the bed in a fumble, and she giggled at his grunting, straddling his waist as she caressed his chest softly – his shirt had been discarded in the middle of the way too. His hands were everywhere and her body was on fire – he was touching all the right places, in just the right way.

"You should know… that I don't do this," she managed to say as his lips left hers to slip into her neck and her collarbone, "very often."

John chuckled, the vibration of it so near her skin making her shiver. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm, ah, serious," she panted. He sucked in her earlobe and his hands caressed her upper thighs. "I don't do this."

"Me neither," he breathed, stopping his hands for a moment and pulling away from her, laying his head on the bed. She sighed in frustration. "Anna, if you want me to stop, I…"

She interrupted him with a kiss, running her hands over the length of his arms and lacing their fingers together. Their tongues met languidly, even if he was a bit surprised; she couldn't seem to get enough of him. She adjusted her position slightly, letting go of his hands and moving to kiss his neck.

"Does that answer your question, Mr Bates?" she asked teasingly, and she felt his fingers fumbling with the zipper at the back of her dress.

Apparently it did.

* * *

Anna opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light in the room, and closed them again. Her limbs ached and so did her head, but in a completely different kind of pain. She remembered enough of last night to know that she drank way more than she should have. She tried to focus, frowning slightly; Mary had gone home as soon as Anna told them Tom was there, not wanting to deal with Matthew knowing she had been out. She insisted that Anna stayed with Sybil, and she did stay. Sybil even went home before her. She had fun. And danced. With the guy from the bar. John. He was nice. She had had very good dreams last night. Very good indeed. She tried opening her eyes again. It was incredibly bright, in a tone of beige she wasn't expecting to see now. Not her mother's house; _definitely_ not her mother's house.

_Oh, dear god._

She sat up straight in a second, only then realising that she was naked and she most definitely wasn't alone. Gathering the sheets around her as much as she could, she stopped suddenly when she heard a noise coming from the bathroom and closed her eyes. Yes, she remembered. She remembered sharing a taxi and many heated kisses. And she remembered this bedroom very well.

_Oh, dear god, indeed._

Brushing the hair off her face slightly she took a look at the bed and sighed, feeling suddenly so very embarrassed at the mess; the comforter had been thrown out of the bed and onto the floor, she remembered, by none other than herself. She heard a noise from the bathroom and had to stop her thoughts from remembering so much from the previous night – this was not something she did as a rule and it didn't make her proud one bit.

Anna felt her cheeks blush and shifted carefully on the bed, her feet touching the floor as she sat. She spotted her dress in the middle of the floor, along with other articles of clothing – some hers, some his. She sighed again, looking at the mess she had made. She yawned and looked at the windows again, frowning when she recognised them – Downton Abbey. The bedroom was big, its walls in a delicate shade of yellow. A huge fireplace was right in front of the bed, and she caught her reflection in the huge mirror next to the windows – she wasn't looking her best. To help matters, he was a guest at the wedding. She shook her head; she was never one to get things half done, anyway.

She stood up, gathering her underwear from the floor and putting it on in a swift manner. She vaguely thought that if she had known anything would happen last night she would have picked a fancier pair of underwear. She cursed quietly when she couldn't zip up her dress completely by herself and examined it in the mirror; her hair was everywhere and the dark blue dress was a bit wrinkled, but it would have to do. She put on her black heels with a little effort and grabbed her purse from a chair.

Reaching for her watch on the bedside table, she nearly cursed when she couldn't see the time yet again. Adjusting it to her sight, she could see that it was just half past seven – early enough for her to go home unnoticed by the Crawleys, possibly.

"It's seven thirty."

Anna turned at the sound of John's hoarse voice, surprised to see him standing in the doorway wearing a pair of jeans and a dark polo shirt, a different outfit from last night. She blushed when she met his eye and blinked.

"Oh, god. You made me jump!" she said softly.

"I'm sorry," he said, appearing just as embarrassed as she was.

He ran his fingers through his hair, and she remembered doing the same several times that night. He had the softest hair. Anna bit her lip and eyed him for a moment. He wasn't the type of men she would usually go on dates with – but then she never thought she would get in this situation with any men, let alone while in Yorkshire. Now, in the morning light, in the face of real life and real commitments he looked almost shy, willing to let her do the talking, as it seemed.

Well, she wasn't one to keep quiet.

"Look," Anna started, "I don't… I don't really do this. I don't know what came over me last night. Actually, scratch that, I do," she shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts together. John was in a crimson shade of red now. She cringed. "I'm sorry, I… I don't really know what's the protocol for this."

John chuckled, crinkles appearing at the sides of his eyes. Anna laughed.

"Neither do I, I'm sorry," he offered her. "I'm not sure there is one."

"Probably not," she made a face. "I, I gotta go. It's a busy day and Mary must be after me already. This was… Well, I… I had a good time."

He smiled. "I did too."

She smiled too, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm just going to go, but I… I need your help," he looked at her with questioning eyes. Her cheeks were on fire. "If you could just zip up my dress?"

"Oh, of course," he said promptly, walking over to where she was standing. She turned just a bit, and he zipped up her dress in a second. "All done."

They exchanged a smile and she noticed how much taller than her he was, even though she had high heels on and his feet were bare. The newfound proximity made her breath hitch a bit.

"Thank you. I'll see you around, I guess," the words were bitter in her tongue, but she smiled all the same.

"I can walk you out, if you'd like?" he offered, but Anna shook her head.

"Oh, it's no problem. I'll just sneak into the old service staircase and go from there. I left my car in the back entrance last night," she gestured to the door absentmindedly. "See you later."

"You will," he smiled and leaned down – she froze. His lips were on her cheek and he was a bit flustered when he pulled away.

They exchanged another smile before she opened the door and slipped into the familiar corridor.

The warmth of his lips was still on her cheek and she could already hear the hustle and bustle downstairs, though she wasn't brave enough to chance a look and getting caught. Everything seemed quite empty upstairs, though, and she figured the Crawleys would enjoy a late sleep on the day before Mary's wedding. She walked resolutely, having known these corridors ever since she and Mary became friends, when they were teenagers. The weight of what happened last night dropped on her shoulders, finally; she couldn't recall sleeping with someone she had never seen before so soon. Or a one night stand, for that matter – she was hardly that kind of girl. She sighed as she turned a corner. What would her mum think? Luckily she wouldn't have to know about it – still, the situation was one she never thought that would happen to her under this very roof. The whole scenario was almost unbelievable; her head was still pounding and she wouldn't mind a warm bath to soothe her muscles, even if they ached almost deliciously so. She wouldn't dwell too much on this; it happened and she knew they had taken all the necessary precautions. She had been the one to ask him to take her home. She could only face it and hope to not run into John at dinner tonight.

As she had predicted, the old narrow staircase was empty. With a slow smile she walked down, reminiscing on vague memories of them standing there. She shook her head. What a crazy night.

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_Next chapter: We have a wedding to attend!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

John nodded appropriately as Robert spoke, and laughed when the other men with them also laughed – they were Anthony Strallan, Robert's son-in-law, and George Murray – Robert's lawyer and his own as well. Dinner had been a smooth affair; the only ones attending were the ones who were staying at Downton Abbey and close family, which was quite pleasant, given that he knew everyone there, but a few of Mary's friends. Now, however, he found himself looking at one of them every so often, and not paying much attention to the conversation he was supposed to be having. He couldn't help but think that Anna was quite a vision in a short, dark green dress. More formal than the one she had been wearing the night before, he thought.

They hadn't talked much, in reality; she had been running late for dinner and only managed a quick hello before she sat down at the other end of the grand table. Now, as they retired to the sitting room, he wasn't sure what they were supposed to do. He hadn't done anything of this sort in many, many years, and the last thing he had had in mind when he arrived for Mary's wedding was that he would spend the night with one of her friends. It was hardly the right moment for it, but then he supposed it hadn't meant anything, however pleasing it might have been. Now, she was focused on cheering for Matthew in a challenging pool game against Tom. She clapped her hands and smiled – he hadn't been quite so drunk the night before to not remember that smile. It had made quite an impression. And in the space of a second, her eyes met his.

She held her smile and his gaze, even though she seemed a bit uncertain. He was sure he looked the same; he hadn't been with a woman since his ex-wife, and he certainly couldn't remember how it was before he got married, so many years ago. Smiling softly, he raised his glass slightly at her, hoping to ease the discomfort just a bit; she chuckled and turned her attention to the game again. He breathed out slowly.

The wedding would take place on Sunday morning, and he was sure he hadn't heard so much talking about a wedding that wasn't a Royal one. The Crawleys did not live at the Abbey, though John supposed that could be considered their main residence, given its grandiosity. Nowadays, it was rented for beautiful, grand weddings and open for public visitors a few months during the year. The beautiful historical details could be enough to send many people over the edge, to be a part of a wedding such as this one – but to someone like John, who wasn't overly fond of weddings, it seemed too much of a waste. Still, it was a beautiful place, and he hoped Mary would be satisfied with it.

It was getting late, he noticed, as Robert's mother got up to go home. He excused himself shortly afterwards.

It was a pleasant evening, considering they were in the height of summer, and instead of going to his room he decided to go outside. He slipped into the old servants' staircase, hoping to remain unnoticed, and he managed so; his steps were quick as he passed by the kitchens, where people were still working, but no one seemed to see him. Once outside, he sighed deeply, and a sly smile escaped his features. If these walls could talk… he was sure they would have much more interesting things to mention than a history professor having a one night stand with a much younger woman.

John took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and picked one slowly, savouring the feeling of it against his lips. He had long given up on even trying to stop with the smoking, though he had managed to lower the number of cigarettes he had in a day. It was soothing though; relaxing. He hadn't realised how tense he had been feeling lately. Probably in consequence of the never ending divorce and the failure of his marriage. And the fact that in the midst of all that he was supposed to celebrate weddings. The joy of some, the misery of others.

He walked around aimlessly, having been in this place on more than one occasion, and welcomed the darkness of the evening. He rather enjoyed solitude, having time to gather his thoughts; after a few minutes, he chose to sit on a crate in the corner, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. Of course last night meant nothing. He was quite sure someone like Anna wouldn't have looked at him twice. Come to think of it, he remembered Mary mentioning her every now and then. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what Anna had mentioned about herself last night. She worked at a book store maybe? Local girl too. At any rate, nothing about what happened between them meant anything. She was much younger, probably had many plans about her future. Maybe even had someone in her life. They certainly did not discuss it the previous evening. And he wasn't quite ready for anything even remotely similar to a relationship anyway. His divorce was nearly finished and he was in the middle of changing jobs. It wasn't the moment for anything like that.

Something fell to the ground and John looked around alarmingly. Leaning forward just a bit from his spot, he saw Anna leaning against the wall, just a few feet from him, and he had to smile when he heard her soft voice cursing not so gently. A big package was on the ground and she was taking her shoes off. Without so much as a thought, he stood up, stepping on his cigarette resolutely, and walked towards her.

"Need some help?" he asked quietly, and her head snapped up, her features relaxing as she saw him.

"Just these bloody shoes," Anna muttered, rising up one shoe for him to see; the heel was split in a half. He reached for the package on the ground; probably her dress for tomorrow. "Thank you."

"No problem," John smiled softly as she took her other shoe off.

"It would be great if you did not mention this to Mary," Anna said in a hushed tone. John chuckled. "I'm serious! Everything needs to be perfect."

"My lips are sealed. I don't wish to make a bride mad," John told her quietly.

"Especially when the bride in question is Mary," Anna said, shaking her head slightly. Her hair was in a pretty bun, a bit elaborated, he noticed. He remembered running his hands through that hair last night; incredibly silky, soft hair.

"Did you hurt your feet?" he asked, his eyes traveling down her toned legs to stop on her feet.

"Oh, no. I just lost my balance for a second. And I haven't even drank a thing tonight," she pointed out, flustering slightly.

"Me neither," he shook his head in disbelief. "One would think we drank too much yesterday."

"I know, right?" she chuckled. "I don't usually drink much."

Her eyes were bright and her smile was inviting – had she stepped a bit closer to him? It was probably just in his head. He could smell her perfume. It was very elegant. John smiled.

"Me neither," he agreed, and she reached over to get the dress from him. Their fingers brushed slightly.

"Thank you," she said after taking a deep breath, looking up at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"You will," he said, though none of them moved yet.

Her scent was intoxicating and even though his memories from the previous night were very hazy, he could make out some very distinct details. What had he been thinking before? This wasn't the moment for this. At all. She was closing her eyes. Her lips parted. He could feel himself doing the same, and he couldn't quite control it. Their lips brushed and he thought he heard a whimper… when the back door burst open and loud voices were heard, coming from the inside. They broke apart, the thinnest of connections lost, but from where they were standing they couldn't really see anything. John scratched his head.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"It's all right," Anna was quick to interrupt him, standing more upright and looking slightly flustered. "I best get going."

"Yes, of course," he stepped away, and she smiled at him before starting to walk towards the cars, a few feet from them. "Take care of the dress."

She turned her head and smiled. "I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He didn't take his eyes off her until she was driving away.

* * *

The party was in full swing and John had to admit he was having fun. The weather was perfect, the ceremony had been nice and not very long, and Mary looked absolutely the epitome of happiness. John was now standing with his back to the bar, watching silently as couples danced to a slow song, nursing a glass of whiskey. His eyes, however, were there for little time – soon he found himself looking for her. And it wasn't hard to find her; her bridesmaid dress was black, and it hugged her in all the right places. It showed off her shoulders and for once her hair was mostly free, cascading over her back. He would never admit it to Mary, but Anna was the most beautiful woman in the party.

She was sitting at her table, talking to an older woman, and her eyes met his, as had happened several times during the wedding. She grinned and rolled her eyes good-naturedly before getting her attention back to her conversation. John smiled.

It had been a wonderful coincidence that they had been put in the same table, even if they both seemed a little flustered by it. They had a nice time, though; conversation flowed easily and they shared a few laughs. He learned she was a curator at a library, even though she teased him about not remembering what she did for a living. She lived in Oxford, but grew up in Yorkshire. He mentioned he would be giving a few lectures in Oxford in a few weeks. She seemed excited about it.

Perhaps his reasoning for thinking it hadn't meant anything was hopeless. Anna was beautiful and a lovely person. Drinking the rest of the whiskey, he made up his mind. His steps were resolute as he walked, and he checked around to see if anyone would be watching them. A new song started playing. Anna stood up as he approached her, though she hadn't seen him, and she yelped softly as she turned and almost ran into him. He chuckled. She smiled.

"I'm sorry," John said quietly, offering his hand. "I was wondering if you would like to dance."

Anna nodded and caught his hand. "Of course."

He slowly led her to the dance floor, glad that everyone seemed too preoccupied with their dancing partners to notice them. He placed his hand on Anna's waist and she took his free one, quickly settling into a rhythm. He didn't really know this song, but he felt it fit to the situation – whatever it was.

Anna snickered and he looked at her with questioning eyes.

"This is the kind of song you dance to, then?" she asked him.

"Yes. This is me, in my element, right here," he joked and Anna laughed. "How am I faring?"

"Quite well, I'd say," she answered with a smile. "Though I think you rocked that Bruno Mars song on Friday."

"Who?" he frowned, and Anna simply shook her head. "Well, I have to say it was fun."

"I'm glad you think so, though we may have to answer to Robert on that, sooner or later," Anna said, narrowing her eyes and smiling. At his questioning look, she continued. "Sybil thanked me last night for keeping you at the club on Friday because otherwise she and Tom wouldn't have been able to, ah… know each other better."

"Sybil? And Tom?" John frowned.

Anna hummed her reply, pointing slightly with her head to a couple dancing a few feet from them. John cringed.

"Well, let's hope our names won't be mentioned when Robert finds that out," he concluded as he and Anna swayed with the song. "He's a good lad, though."

"I suppose," she shrugged.

"Yeah, he's not my type either," he said in a serious voice, and Anna frowned before giggling. He adjusted his hand on her waist and chuckled. "You're looking very nice this evening, Miss maid of honour."

She blushed slightly, and he thought she looked adorable. "I can say the same for you, Mr Bates."

"I mean it. You're the most beautiful woman in this party," he said quietly.

She blushed before laughing nervously. "Well, don't let Mary hear you, or we'll both be in trouble."

"We can't have that."

He let go of her to twirl her around momentarily, and she looked surprised at this as she came back to the original position – or perhaps she was standing closer now. Anna smiled. She had a beautiful smile.

"You really are in your element here," she commented. "I'm impressed."

"I can't do much more than this, so please don't expect too much," he chuckled.

"Well, you are wrong there. I've already seen just how much you can do," she said teasingly, and he felt his cheeks burn at that. Anna looked a bit mortified at him. "Oh, no, I meant at the club, not when… I mean, I'm sure you… I'm just making things worse, aren't I?"

John chuckled and she settled more comfortably against him, almost trying to hide her face from view; he found it extremely adorable. They grew silent, enjoying the music and swaying accordingly. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he knew he had to. A dance wouldn't hurt, surely? It didn't mean anything – Anna was a friend. An acquaintance, even. He briefly wondered how they had never met before, considering she seemed to have been friends with Mary for a long time. Perhaps they could meet in Oxford, if she wanted to – as friends, of course. He didn't think he should try anything more serious until the divorce was finalised. And he didn't particularly think Anna was interested in him that way. Friday night had clearly been something unusual for both of them.

The song ended, and was quickly replaced by something more energetic. At this, Anna pulled away and giggled, tugging at his hand so they could go back to their table. They had barely walked two steps, however, when Mary approached them, and he quickly let go of Anna's hand before any assumptions were made.

"John, I'll have to steal Anna from you for a bit," she said unapologetically, and grabbed Anna's hand instantly, pulling her along. Anna simply turned and cringed at John, and he had to laugh at her expression.

His hand felt slightly empty as he returned to the table, but he kept these thoughts at bay. It had just been a dance.

* * *

"Button this up for me," Mary asked, and Anna happily obliged as they stood in the grand drawing room, away from prying looks. "Matthew will have some trouble with all these buttons later."

Anna laughed. "Well, it should make things more exciting," she adjusted Mary's hair. "You look a picture. How can you still look like that after so many hours of partying, I have no idea."

"Well, it helps that I am sober," Mary said with a sly smile. "Much as I have loved the wedding, I am ready for the honeymoon."

"I'll want to know all about it. Well, about the Maldives, you can spare me the sordid details," Anna added, and Mary laughed.

"Speaking of sordid details, you seemed very cosy with John there," she chanced a look at her friend. Anna averted her gaze. "Had you met him before?"

"Oh no, we met on Friday," Anna quickly dismissed her. "He's nice, that's all. We were at the same table."

"He is very nice," Mary commented somewhat thoughtfully, and Anna went on trying to make her hair look less dishevelled. "I'm going to throw the bouquet before we leave in a bit. You should try to get it."

"Mary, don't be daft! Why should I get the bouquet?" Anna let out a chuckle. "I'm sure I can avoid having my arm dislocated by some of your university friends."

"They are very eager, I'll agree with that," Mary turned around. "I'll aim to the left. You have been warned. If anything, the flowers will look pretty in your living room."

Anna nearly rolled her eyes, but nodded at her friend's words. Hugging her almost forcefully, she smiled.

"You're the most beautiful bride," Anna said, and she meant it. "Now let's go so you can leave for your sordid honeymoon."

Mary smiled. "The maid of honour has spoken."

* * *

Anna's fingers traced the calla lilies from Mary's bouquet, shaking her head slightly at how she had been able to get it, though it was hardly a surprise, as even when she had gone to the opposite direction Mary had told her to, her friend clearly aimed at her. Now on the way to her honeymoon, the party was slowing down, though not too much; everyone still seemed to be in high spirits but she supposed it would be time to go soon. She sighed softly, reaching for her glass of champagne and taking a sip before she heard her name.

"Finally managed to get a hold of you!" Jane said with a smile, and Anna responded with one of her own before standing up to hug her friend.

She had only managed to greet Jane with a smile hours earlier, what with the amount of guests and her role as maid of honour, but she was glad to see Jane again, having known her for such a long time as they were once classmates when children. She really didn't come to Yorkshire enough these days, and when she did it was usually just a quick weekend visit to her mum. Mary had never been really friends with Jane, but Jane's new job as Robert's secretary brought her into the Crawley's lives.

"May I sit?" Jane asked.

"Of course," Anna nodded. "How have you been? I was going to surprise you with a visit sometime this week."

"Please do," her friend said brightly. "I've been fine. I've heard your mother is having a surgery this week. It's been a while since I've seen her. How is she?"

"Oh, she's fine," Anna took another sip of the champagne. "She has a bit of a knee problem, it's nothing very serious but the surgery will end her pain. She'll be able to walk normally after a few days. I'm home this week to give her a hand," she shrugged with a smile. "How's Freddie?"

"He's great. I swear, he gets smarter every day," Jane said with a beaming smile. "He's trying out for a scholarship in Ripon Grammar this year."

"That's great, Jane. I'm sure he can do it. He's always been such a clever boy."

Jane nodded. "And how are you, Anna? I must say congratulations for the bouquet. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Anna laughed, though for a spare of a second she thought of someone.

"I wish there was, Jane," she answered with a chuckle. "I only tried to get it because Mary insisted. I didn't see you there, though."

Jane waved her off. "Oh, no. No, I'm not sure I want to get married again anytime soon. Maybe one day, maybe when Freddie is older. But not now."

They talked for a few minutes before Jane said she would leave, having promised to get Freddie from her mother's, but not before making Anna promise to stop by during the week. Eyeing the remaining guests, Anna decided to finish her champagne and go home too, suddenly feeling exhausted. Her feet most definitely hurt, and she couldn't wait to get out of her dress.

She had just taken another sip of champagne when the seat Jane had occupied was taken by John Bates once again. He smiled shyly at her before letting out a sigh.

"That's a beautiful bouquet," he said after a moment, his gaze ahead of him, on the dance floor, but Anna could tell he was teasing.

"It'll look nice in my living room," Anna commented, biting out a smile.

"Is that the only reason you caught it?" his head turned to her.

"Absolutely," she said at once, now smiling openly. "Have you enjoyed the wedding, Mr Bates?"

He shrugged. "I did, I suppose. I think Robert is maybe enjoying it too much."

Anna laughed as they observed Robert dancing with Cora for perhaps the tenth time.

"Well, he always did like Matthew," Anna commented with a chuckle. "Wouldn't you be proud at your daughter's wedding?"

"I'm not sure how happy I would be if my daughter had just gone off to her honeymoon," John mumbled, and Anna had to laugh at his tone.

"Do you have children?" Anna asked interestedly. John immediately shook his head.

"Oh, no. My ex-wife never wanted any. I should be grateful for it now, I suppose," he shrugged, but at her questioning glance, added, "Complicated divorce."

"Ah, so that's why you apparently love weddings so much," Anna laughed and he joined her. "And we should see Edith's soon, too."

"You're the one who got the bouquet, though," he teased her.

Anna giggled. "Well, I assure you I'm not getting married within the next few months. Edith's wedding will definitely happen before mine."

He grinned, turning his attention back to the dance floor. Anna took the last sip of champagne and enjoyed the sweet taste of it. She was beginning to feel a bit light-headed – time to stop drinking, anyway.

"Will you go back to Oxford tomorrow, then?" John asked, gazing at her.

Anna shook her head. "No, I'm staying with my mum in Thirsk until next Saturday before I go back. She's having surgery in the morning so I'll be helping her for a few days – I should be going home, actually."

"Nothing serious, I hope?"

"No, just something she should have done ages ago," Anna rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "What about you? Heading down to London soon?"

"Tonight, actually," he sighed. "I have a meeting tomorrow morning, so I'll be leaving soon too."

He took a look at his watch and pursed his lips; Anna fidgeted her empty glass nervously. Her heart sank a bit at the fact that he would be leaving soon, though she didn't understand why. They really did have a great time at the wedding, but it hardly meant anything – he was just friendly to her. No offer or invitation had been made. There were no expectations – not really. John really did seem such a quiet person, even shy at times, and of course the events of Friday night were not a usual thing to happen to him. Anna sighed – nor for her, either.

She watched as he opened his mouth but did not speak, and she made up her mind in a split of a second.

"Perhaps we could exchange our numbers so when you're in Oxford we could maybe… meet up?" she asked quickly, the words leaving her mouth in a hurry. He seemed surprised at her proposition, and almost nervous, and she felt heat in her cheeks before he replied.

"Right. That's a great idea, actually," he said, reaching for his phone immediately.

Anna unlocked hers and handed it to him. He appeared confused for a moment and Anna chuckled and told him how to add his phone number whilst she did the same with his phone. They laughed as they got their phones back, and Anna felt confident again. He really seemed to be a nice man, and if anything they could be friends.

"Well, thank you. I really should get going, though," she told him a bit nervously.

"I'll be going in a bit, too – just gotta find Rob," he smiled softly at her. She felt butterflies in her stomach.

"It was lovely to meet you, John. And thank you for the company," Anna said sincerely. "Give me a call when you're in the area."

"Actually, I might be coming back up here this week," he added slowly. "So… if you'd like, you can call me tomorrow or some other day and if you're not busy…"

"That seems nice. I'll give you a call, then," Anna smiled brightly. "So I guess, see you soon?"

"You will," he agreed with a smile and she leaned in to kiss his cheek – lingering just a moment more than necessary.

He appeared surprised by it, and she smiled again before standing up and walking away, feeling his eyes on her all the while. Her cheeks blushed pink now, and she had to bite her lower lip to keep from smiling too much. She only realised now how fast her heart was beating.

Perhaps it had meant something to her, after all.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks so much for everyone who reviewed and followed/favorited the story! Hope you have enjoyed this chapter as well. Anyone wants to guess which Bruno Mars song John and Anna danced to in the first chapter? :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **In case anyone is still wondering, the Bruno Mars song they danced to in the first chapter is Locked Out of Heaven. I thought it was fitting. :) I'd like to thank everyone who has taken their time to leave a review because really, we write these stories for you and it is just awesome to get some feedback. Thank you so much! Reviews make my day. I must say this chapter is rather different from the other two and in a way this is where the story actually starts. So I really hope you'll share your thoughts with me on this. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_Chapter Three_

Anna looked at the little stick resting on the bathroom counter, letting out a gasp, though not for the first time this morning. This would be her fifth test in two days. Five tests, all with the same result – positive. Having only bought one at first, certain that her body was just playing tricks on her, she decided to not believe in the first test and bought five more later that day, all from different brands, just to make sure. The cashier made a funny comment to her, but she hadn't been in the mood for jokes.

And now, five tests later, it appeared the result was indeed correct. She tentatively reached for the sixth box, unopened, but pushed it back inside the cabinet. It was of no use. She just had to face it, she supposed. She reached for the last test she had taken, shaking it slightly before looking at the little screen. The word 'pregnant' simply wouldn't fade out, and she sighed before dropping the test in the sink again. She ran her hands through her hair and stared at herself in the mirror.

"I'm pregnant," Anna whispered, almost afraid to say the words.

Her heart sank, in fear or in disappointment, maybe. This wasn't exactly how she imagined she would find out she was expecting a baby. Hopefully there would have been a man in the room with her and hopefully they would both be happy at the news.

She did the math in her head again, just in case. It had been four weeks since the wedding. Six weeks since her last period. She had never been regular, and wouldn't usually feel alarmed at this, but it wasn't always that she slept with someone these days. She was sure they had used protection though – she could almost remember it. But then, it was never a hundred per cent sure.

She needed to get a confirmation – an even more solid proof. She would have to have a blood test done and see her doctor. As quick as possible – just to make sure this wasn't a mistake.

The five pregnancy tests lay quietly on the counter, almost as if to provoke her. Anna shook her head. It couldn't be a mistake. She was pregnant – with John Bates' child.

She threw some water on her face and blinked slowly, trying to get her mind ready for the day. It was too early, she had to be at work soon and she just found out her life would completely change, and in the not too distant future.

She needed to make a few calls.

* * *

Anna tapped her foot incessantly on the floor, her eyes looking out the window constantly. She touched her phone's screen, only to find no new notifications on it. Her tea remained untouched as the restaurant bustled around her. When the door opened, she saw the figure she had been waiting for and waved.

Gwen mimicked her gesture, talking to the waiter who led her to Anna's table. Anna stood up and greeted her friend with a hug. Gwen hung her heavy bag, probably filled with books, on the chair and sat down before sighing loudly.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she apologised. "I was doing some research and just lost track of time."

"It's fine. I've just ordered for us. The usual, right?" Anna asked with a smile.

"You're an angel, Anna," Gwen said, grabbing a small piece of toast that sat on the table. "I'm famished."

Anna chuckled. "So how's your thesis going? All ready?"

"I wish," her friend shook her head. "It appears I'm in for another semester, at least. It's a good thing I like this place."

Anna frowned. "You're not thinking about leaving, are you?"

Gwen shrugged. "Only if something better comes along. I'm doing fine at the company, though, and Matthew says I have future there. I'm staying. Plus you're here, I can't just leave you, can I?"

"I surely hope not!" Anna said with a sly smile.

"So what happened? I thought we were supposed to meet up tonight," Gwen commented. "Not that there's a problem, really, but it's unusual. Have you got yourself a date?"

Anna had to laugh at Gwen's teasing, and shook her head slowly.

"Well, no, it's a bit more complicated than that," Anna started, feeling suddenly nervous. "Gwen, I might be in a bit of trouble. I'm… I'm late."

"No, you're not," Gwen said in between bites. "I was late. You got here before I did."

"No, that's not it, I… Do you remember the wedding? Mary and Matthew's?" Anna asked, and Gwen nodded.

"Can't believe that had to be on the same day as my dad's birthday," Gwen shook her head as she took another piece of toast from the basket.

"Well, yeah," Anna agreed. "But you see, I wasn't completely honest with you," that had Gwen's attention now. Her friend frowned. "I met a man. On the day we went to that pub. Remember?"

"I do now," Gwen nodded. "What happened?"

"He was also a guest for the wedding. A friend of Mary's father," Anna explained. "And I slept with him."

"You what?" Gwen asked, obviously surprised. Anna cringed. "Well, that's new. I'm surprised, but well, everyone's done that at some point or the other. I mean, I haven't, but really, what do I know- hang on, why are you telling me this now?"

Anna rested her elbows on the table and made a face. "I'm late."

"Okay," Gwen said, cringing slightly now and understanding her meaning. Anna hid her face with her hands. "Well. That is unexpected. Have you taken a test yet?"

Anna nodded, trying to maintain control. She leaned back in the chair and met Gwen's eyes. "I took five tests already. All of them were positive."

"Oh, Anna," Gwen sighed. "Didn't you use anything?"

"We did, at least I think we did, but you know how these things are," she answered. "I don't remember it all that way, I was quite drunk – I really lost a bit of control that night," Gwen arched her eyebrows. "And don't worry, it was very much consensual. In fact, I remember it had been clearly my idea."

"What are you going to do?"

"I've talked to my doctor and I'll have some tests done on Monday and an appointment on Monday afternoon," Anna replied. "It should be all ready by the time I see the doctor."

"Will you contact this guy?" Gwen asked, looking a bit worried. "What is his name, anyway?"

Anna sighed and nodded. "I will, but only after I see the doctor. Just to make sure," she shrugged. "And his name is John. I have to tell him. He has the right to know, anyway. If he wants nothing to do with this, I'll accept it, but I don't think he would do that. He really is a nice man. I suppose."

"Do you have his number?" Gwen pursed her lips.

"I do, we exchanged numbers before he left Yorkshire," Anna shook her head. "I promised I would call him that week. And I did – but a woman answered his phone and said he was too busy to answer it."

Anna recalled it very well, and it wasn't exactly a fond memory; she had called him on Tuesday morning, thinking it wouldn't be too much to call him then, but the woman had a tone in her voice… Anna didn't particularly like it. She felt like her phone call wasn't welcomed at all and John never called her back.

"I found out later from Mary that he is getting a divorce," Anna explained. "Guess that might have been his wife or something. I decided to stay out of it. He never called me, anyway. And we never really talked about that night, so…"

"I'm sorry, Anna."

Anna took a sip of her tea and shrugged. "It's fine. We were never in a relationship. We never even dated. I didn't feel used or that he took advantage of me. In fact, I was very eager," she let out a chuckle and Gwen laughed. "I only feel sorry that this is the way this is happening. I never would have thought my child would be conceived during a one nighter with a lot of alcohol involved."

"Well, I've always thought that if you had fun in the process it's okay," Gwen chuckled. "So… did you?"

Anna bit her lip before smiling. "I have to admit that I did."

"See? At least that, then," she smiled. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm not feeling different," Anna admitted. "I haven't had any sickness or anything. I suppose it's still early for all that."

"Yeah, I guess it is," Gwen agreed. "I know it's Friday and I'm technically supposed to work this afternoon, but one glass filled with alcohol won't hurt. I need it desperately after what you've just told me," Anna let out a laugh. "None for you, of course. You'll drop me off at work after lunch, just so you know."

"No problem," Anna nodded promptly. "This is why I called you to make it a lunch date. I just had to talk to someone. I can't very well call my mum – at least not until I've talked to the doctor and later with John."

"It's fine, just surprising. And I know you'll be a great mum," Gwen beamed at her, reaching for her hand and shaking it excitedly. "Oh my goodness, you'll actually be a mum. This is that time in life where everyone around me gets married or has babies and I remain single, I'm sure," Anna rolled her eyes. "You really know how to have things well done, Anna. For someone who never does any craziness, you really did all you could here, at once."

"Tell me about it," Anna mumbled into her tea as Gwen called the waiter and asked him for a gin and tonic before questioning her once more about John.

She didn't think one lunch date would be enough to tell her everything she wanted to know.

* * *

Anna closed the magazine, too nervous to actually read anything. She looked around the waiting room and for the first time noticed the pregnant women and babies there. Had they been around every time she came to the doctor? She wasn't completely sure. A baby sat on his mum's lap right in front of her and showed Anna a toothy smile. She let out a chuckle at the adorable baby and let her mind drift to the fact that soon she would be having one of her own.

She didn't think she would get used to that anytime soon. She had always wanted children, actually, and she really did love babies; despite everything, it was still very surprising and hard to believe. If John wished to be a part of the child's life – how would that be? To raise a child with someone she barely knew had never been in her plans. But she would welcome the pregnancy, nonetheless – that had hardly been a question. And she couldn't help but wonder if it would be a boy or a girl, or if-

"Anna Smith," the nurse called, and Anna promptly stood up.

The halls of the clinic were impossibly white as Anna followed the nurse into the doctor's office. He stood up when she entered, smiling. Anna did the same and shook his hand, though a bit nervously. She had been his patient for quite a few years now, and she didn't think she had ever been like this for an appointment before.

"Hello, Anna," he said in a friendly tone, motioning for her to sit on one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I must say I was very surprised about your call last week."

"So was I, Dr Palmer," Anna admitted.

"I have the results of your tests here," Dr Palmer said slowly. "Did you take a home pregnancy test last week?"

"Five, actually," Anna let out a laugh. "I was convinced they were wrong."

The doctor arched his eyebrows and nodded thoughtfully. "Your blood work agrees with the home pregnancy tests, but your urine sample does not."

Anna frowned. "So what does that mean?"

"Well, false positive tests are rare and it's usually because of some problem in manufacturing the pharmacy tests. The blood work, on the other hand, is even more unusual. And considering you took more than one pregnancy test, I would say this is not common, but not impossible," Dr Palmer said, taking his glasses off. "This means, however, that you're most likely not pregnant."

Anna sat back in the chair, certainly surprised; this was not something she expected to hear after so many positive results. Instead of relief, however, she felt a bit of uneasiness flow through her.

"I'm sorry," the doctor said with a sympathetic smile.

"No, it's... it's fine. I didn't plan it, anyway," Anna breathed, managing a smile.

"I would like an ultrasound, just in case," Dr Palmer frowned. "Your hCG levels are high and that's why a pregnancy was indicated. We need to find out what's going on there. I doubt it's anything to worry about."

Somehow, that didn't make her feel any better.

* * *

Anna parked her car, just across the street from the library. She quickly typed Gwen's phone number and waited for her to answer. The street was fairly busy and she needed to enter the library's building as she was already late for work, but she needed to talk to someone. Sitting back in the car seat, it seemed like an eternity before she heard Gwen's voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me. Can you talk?"

"Yeah, of course, how did it go?" Gwen seemed excited. Anna's heart sank.

"Well, turns out it was a false alarm," Anna said slowly. "Or more like six false positives. My hormones are going crazy because I have a cyst on my ovary – or at least there's a ninety percent chance that I do."

"What?" Gwen asked in a surprised tone. "Is that dangerous? How does it look?"

"Well, the prognosis is good. My doctor says I have nothing to worry about, that it should go away with medication, but I'll have to go through a lot of tests to be sure," Anna sighed. "I worry, of course."

"Of course," Gwen agreed. "Promise me you won't go searching for books about it."

Anna smiled sadly. "You know I can't promise you that."

"And how are you feeling? Are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Anna shrugged, but her voice even sounded bitter to her own ears. "You know me. I can handle this."

"Well, I don't mean physically," Gwen asked her in a worried tone.

Anna took a deep breath and shook her head, even though Gwen couldn't see her. "I'll be fine, honestly. I had just wrapped my head around it and it's gone. Well, it never existed."

"Do you want me to come over tonight?"

"No, you don't have to," Anna said with a smile. "I'd rather be alone right now, if you don't mind. We're still on for tomorrow, though."

"All right. But please call me if you change your mind," Gwen pleaded. "Okay?"

Anna nodded. "Okay. I gotta go now. I'll talk to you later."

"Take care, and don't forget to call me!"

Anna had to smile at Gwen's concern, but it was of no use, really. With a sigh, Anna reached for her bag and applied a bit of lipstick, frowning slightly when she realised the song that was playing on the radio - the one she and John had danced to at the wedding. She smiled bitterly, shaking her head in disbelief before turning the radio off and getting out of the car. She took a deep breath as she crossed the street, shaking her head slightly. It was for the best, really. She had a chance to do things as she desired now – having a baby like that would have hardly been ideal, not to mention her mother wouldn't be delighted at first. She would just learn from that mistake and do as the doctor said; after she had all the necessary results and did the right treatment, she would be completely healthy again. She would see this as a chance to start over. With whom, however, she had no idea.

She ran her fingers through her hair as her heels clicked on the pavement. She had to stop abruptly, however, as she turned around the corner and nearly ran into someone. She was about to apologise and keep on walking when she looked up – and her heart stopped.

"Anna?" John's voice was loud and clear and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it. She stepped aside, allowing another passer by to walk, and he did the same, still standing in front of her. "What a lovely surprise."

Anna blinked before smiling and recovering from her own surprise. "Yes, it really is."

He pursed his lips for a moment before replying. "You do remember me, right?"

At this, she laughed – and felt herself relaxing a little. "I remember you, John."

John smiled then, appearing to be almost relieved at her statement. He was wearing black pants and a smart navy blue shirt, which she thought complimented him quite well. He was exactly like she remembered – impossibly taller than her, and even more handsome now in the light of day – for the first time, she noticed his eyes were green. She did not stare too much, too aware of where her thoughts might lead her to.

"So, ah… this is where you work? This library?" he pointed to the building beside them, and Anna nodded.

"Keeper of special collections," she told him with a proud smile and adjusted her bag. "Have you visited already?"

"I did, but unfortunately I could only take a look," he smiled a bit sadly. "I forgot I had to book a seat in the reading room. Silly, I know."

"Happens more often than you would think," Anna shrugged with a smile. "We're always full. Were you looking for something specific?"

"Manuscripts. Medieval, I mean," he added. He smiled a bit nervously. "That's my area. What I teach, that is."

Anna smiled wider at him and nodded. "I know. I received a newsletter this week and there was an article about your lectures here. I didn't think they started until next week, though."

"They don't," he answered. "I'm just acclimatising, I guess. I'll be here for quite some time, anyway."

Anna nodded with a smile. "I hope you'll like it here," she started. "I best get going. I'm late as it is."

"Right, of course," he said quickly, frowning. "I'm sorry for keeping you."

"No, it's fine. It was nice to see you," she took a deep breath. "Did you, uhm, book your seat? In the reading room?"

"I did. In two weeks," he let out a chuckle.

"Well, I can try to pull a few strings and see if I can get you one before," she offered, though she didn't know why. "People do cancel, every now and then. I can ask them to list you in if anyone cancels before your booking."

"I wouldn't want to be a bother, Anna."

"It's no trouble. I can let you know if it happens."

"Okay, great," he smiled again. She felt butterflies in her stomach.

"I guess I'll see you around, then," Anna said quickly, offering him her hand.

His handshake was firm and his skin was terribly soft against hers, and for a moment she pondered that it was quite weird, really, to end such an odd conversation with a business-like gesture, especially when they had shared so much already. At least to her, anyway – as she said goodbye to those pretty green eyes she couldn't help but remember that for a whole weekend she thought she was carrying his child, a result of the mindless night they had shared. She doubted anyone would guess it just by looking at them, but she felt very self-conscious and felt heat fill her cheeks as she walked away from him, unaware that he was staring at her until she entered the library.

She pushed these thoughts aside as she made her way through the familiar building, finding peace in the quiet atmosphere, but before heading to her office she decided to stop by the reading room and have a quick word with the librarian in charge today. It wouldn't hurt to help a friend.

* * *

"Are you sure you should be drinking that?"

Anna rolled her eyes at Gwen while drinking a bit of red wine. "I'm sure. I saw the ultrasound. There really is no baby."

She knew her tone was bitter but she was accepting it more fully now. After the rollercoaster of a week she had had – punctuated by five false positive pregnancy tests, the discovery of a cyst on her ovary and the fact that her womb was, in fact, empty – Anna indulged herself to a little bit of alcohol in the company of her friend and in the safety of her own home. Gwen had brought a few films for them to watch and they had been discussing which one should go first before settling for the newest Pride and Prejudice.

"All right, then. I'll join you there," Gwen said, filling her glass with wine as well. "It's so crazy though, isn't it? That you had so many positive signs only to realise it was nothing."

"It was a cyst, actually," Anna answered slowly. "And I've done some research, I am sorry to tell you. I'll be happy when I've done all the tests I'm supposed to do and be sure that's just it. Because there can be a lot more there, you know."

"You are impossible," Gwen shook her head. "It'll be nothing, I'm sure. Don't worry too much."

"I'm trying not to."

"Good," Gwen touched her arm slightly, offering a bit of support. Anna smiled, silently thankful. Her friend did the same and stood up the next moment, reaching for the DVDs. "So who will it be? Fitzwilliam or Mark?"

"Fitzwilliam Darcy, please," Anna sighed before checking her phone for a second. She pursed her lips. "I saw John yesterday."

That made Gwen stop in her tracks and look back at Anna in surprise. "That John?"

She nodded. "After I called you, after the doctor appointment. Talk about a coincidence."

"Did you say anything?"

"Heavens, no," Anna exclaimed with a laugh. "It was a chance meeting in the middle of the sidewalk. He's giving a few lectures here starting next week and he went to the library. It couldn't have lasted more than five minutes."

"Did he say anything about not calling you?" Gwen asked interestedly, already forgetting about the films.

Anna shook her head. "No. Why would he? I'd rather not hear any excuse, anyway."

Gwen's face fell. "You're right. Will you see him again?"

"Well, I told him I would let him know if I managed to get him a seat in the reading room this week," Anna answered, stirring her glass slowly. "We did get a cancellation today, Laura told me just before I left. For Friday afternoon."

Gwen leaned perilously against the television. "Will you call him?"

"I told him I would," she made a face. "Perhaps this time he will actually answer."

"Perhaps," Gwen said hopefully. "You seem to like him. Find out if he's single and ask him out."

"You make it sound so simple," Anna shook her head and chuckled. "How can I know if he and his ex don't still relive some memories together? That must have been her who answered his phone the other day."

"Okay. Let's go for Mark Darcy today. Old romance with Fitzwilliam is overrated," Gwen decided quickly, before Anna could say a thing. "You need to restore your faith in modern men. If Bridget Jones did it, I'm sure you can too."

Anna laughed and agreed – it wouldn't hurt to see Colin Firth's second Darcy. In fact, it might even cheer her up.

She would call John the next morning.

* * *

**A/N:** I've done a lot of research for this and I know people who suffer from ovary cysts so I hope this doesn't sound too out there. But don't be too disappointed, we're just getting started. :)

_Next chapter: We'll see a bit more of John, and maybe find out why he never called Anna. Any ideas on which song did they dance to at the wedding? I'll give you a hint... Check the story's title._


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

John stared blankly at the laptop's screen in front of him. It was always quite difficult to figure outwhat one should start the lecture with, but this morning he was hopeless. Deciding that a bit of caffeine wouldn't hurt, he stood up from the table and walked into the tiny kitchen, preparing himself some coffee. He stared out the window, enjoying the view from the river on this beautiful day, and let out a sigh. It felt good to be away from London; perhaps he could even consider moving here, after all. Especially now that the divorce was completely over and he could breathe easily again.

He found himself thinking about Anna as he took a sip of coffee, and wondered if she would call. She looked almost uncomfortable to see him two days ago, and he didn't want to push her; she hadn't called him before, probably because she wasn't interested. He certainly could understand; he was older, probably unlike the men she was used to seeing, and they were both quite drunk when they slept together. He imagined she saw that night as a mistake – and really, what else could it be?

The loud ringtone from his mobile shook him from his reverie, and he turned back to the table, sitting down and reaching for the phone. He had expected to see Robert's name there, but it was from an unknown number. He looked at it briefly before thinking it seemed vaguely familiar, and brought it to his ear.

"Hello."

"Hello, John? It's Anna," his heart skipped a beat at that. Her voice sounded impossibly sweet. "I hope I haven't woken you up."

"No, I'm an early riser," he quickly dismissed her with a smile. "How are you, Anna?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she said, her tone appearing to be a bit flustered. "I have good news for you. We got a cancellation on Friday afternoon so I managed to schedule you early."

"That's brilliant," John said. "I don't know how to thank you, Anna."

"You don't have to, it was no trouble," she said quietly. "So you're scheduled for Friday at five. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely perfect," he said, picking up a pen and a piece of paper and writing it so he wouldn't forget.

"And you want access to the Medieval section," she continued. "Anything else?"

"No, that would be all," he smiled. "Really, Anna, thank you. It would have been harder to fix the appointment once my lectures start."

"Well, we can talk about it on Friday, maybe," she said conversationally. "I hope you'll find what you're looking for in our collection."

"I'm sure I will," he told her.

"I should be going to work now," Anna told him. "Have a good day, John."

"You too, Anna. Thanks again."

He was still smiling when he laid his phone down on the table, but frowned slightly as he remembered he hadn't recognised Anna's number. He had tried calling her twice before, but it was never available. Now, it seemed odd that his phone hadn't identified her number. Unlocking and making a quick look at the recent calls, he was surprised when he found that he had had two calls from Anna. He frowned; he was quite sure he had only heard this phone ring once. Touching the screen again for more info, he learned that she had called him a month ago – and that he had answered, apparently. He checked the date again. Two days after the wedding.

And he instantly remembered the meeting he had had with Vera and their lawyers that morning.

"Bloody hell," he whispered to no one, shaking his head in disbelief.

Anna had called him, it seemed, only he had never realised it. They had been discussing financial issues in that meeting, he remembered, and he had even gone out to talk to his lawyer privately before agreeing to do anything Vera wanted. He must have left his phone there then. So Anna had called him, Vera most likely answered it, and Anna probably thought he had a girlfriend or whatever Vera made it seem like she was. He felt incredibly frustrated and mad at her, though he shouldn't be very surprised. A few seconds passed by when he realised something else.

Anna had called him. Meaning that she was interested, or at least had been. And he was in Oxford now, and had a good chance of seeing her on Friday. He could try to fix this – and see what could come out of it.

* * *

He was getting ready to leave when he saw her. She had entered the reading room quietly, so much that he only noticed her when she reached the librarian. He looked up from his laptop and tried not to stare, but it was hard not to. She was wearing latex gloves, for some reason, and whispered quietly to the other woman so as not to disturb the readers. She had on a white blouse with a creamy skirt, and he noticed with a smile that this time she had her glasses on. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

He found that he was still staring when Anna turned to walk away and met his eye immediately, smiling at him. He did the same.

Fifteen minutes later he was walking down the hall, slightly disappointed at not being able to talk to her but satisfied with what he managed to get from today's visit. As he turned a corner, he hurried to be able to catch the elevator and was surprised to see Anna and another woman inside. He nodded politely at them, who had stopped talking upon seeing him, and Anna managed a faint smile in his direction; her glasses were gone and she was carrying a bag and a briefcase with her. Probably on her way home.

"Your request is pertinent, Anna, but I can't really do much," the woman slowly said. She was older, and sounded very business-like, but he did see a smile towards Anna. "The department just got a new library. Much as I would love it, I'm not sure the board would approve. It's just not a priority."

"Well, I do understand," he heard Anna say quietly, "But you do realise how much it would add to the collection? Considering its controversy and we do have an exposition in a few weeks."

The elevator's door opened to the first floor. The older woman let out a loud sigh and looked at Anna.

"I'll consider it, and take it to the board," she said slowly. "But I can't promise you anything. You know Mr Carson."

Anna smiled. "I do. Thank you, Elsie."

The older woman walked out and Anna sighed and then turned to look at him with a smile he was happy to reciprocate. He leaned against the wall and she adjusted her hair by running her fingers through it. He could instantly smell the flowery scent of her shampoo. He took the opportunity to look properly at her, taking notice of her beautiful legs, this time adorned by lower heels than he saw at the wedding. The skirt she was wearing complimented her quite well, he had to notice it, considering how great her… He closed his eyes, trying not to let his mind astray too much. When he opened his eyes her jaw instantly transfixed him, and he could remember kissing and sucking that spot on her throat… His breath hitched and he masqueraded it into a cough as Anna shifted on her feet, and he quickly averted his gaze once she turned to look at him again, standing next to him and leaning against the wall as well.

"I hope your research went well," she said quietly.

"It did, thank you," he replied. "I should think of some way to repay you."

She waved her free hand exasperatedly. "Nonsense. It was no trouble. I was happy to help."

"I do appreciate immensely. You must let me thank you properly," he insisted. "Would you be free now? Let me take you for some tea, or coffee. Or dinner, even. Whatever you'd prefer."

She smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, I can't. I'm meeting Mary in a bit."

"Right, of course," he scratched the back of his neck. "Some other time, maybe."

Anna nodded. "Maybe."

He pursed his lips, unsure of what to say now. "Well, at least I have your right number now, I assume. We can manage to find a suitable time for both of us, if you'd like."

That made her frown. "My right number?"

Before he could answer, however, a young woman, a student, undoubtedly, entered the elevator, frowning upon seeing it still, and he realised he never pressed the button for the ground floor, and nor did Anna. He saw a faint blush creep into Anna's cheeks as she realised this as well, and the young woman turned to look at them questioningly.

"Going up or down?"

"Down," they both answered at the same time, immediately.

The woman pressed the ground floor button and they remained in silence for the few seconds it took for the elevator to reach its destiny. The young woman left immediately, and John and Anna followed her with slow steps. He took his phone out of his pocket, and started going through his contacts. Anna looked at him with a frown.

"So what do you mean, my right number?" she asked. "My number hasn't changed since the wedding. I am quite sure I gave you the right-"

He interrupted her by handing her his phone, and she stopped walking for a moment. He saw her cringing and smiled at her expression. Her face fell and she met his eyes with embarrassment.

"That's supposed to be a five, not an eight," she explained slowly. "Which I think you realised when I called you earlier this week. I'm sorry. I was sure I had given you the right number – obviously I must have drank too much champagne to have noticed it at the wedding."

He shook his head. "A common mistake, I would say. I noticed that you did call me that week. I'm sorry I didn't answer it."

This time, she smiled sadly. "No, it's fine. I understand that you were busy."

"Well, I was actually at a meeting," John explained slowly as they got back to walking. "I don't really know anyone who would answer my calls without asking but my ex-wife. She must have been the one to answer your call?"

"It was a woman, yes," Anna said carefully, pursing her lips.

"She probably did it while I was talking to my lawyer. I must have left my phone in the conference room or something," he explained, trying to remember that meeting. "And of course she wouldn't let me know. That sounds just like her."

Anna remained silent and he worried for a moment – perhaps she didn't believe him, or just simply wasn't interested. They hadn't exactly made any promises before, and he felt quite unsure about it all. The last thing he wanted was to scare Anna away. He didn't know many people in Oxford but it seemed like a good place to start over, at least from what he had seen.

"I understand that maybe this is rather unbelievable, but if you knew her you would really see this happening," he breathed then let out a chuckle. "In fact, this isn't even the worst she has done-"

"I'm free tomorrow," Anna interrupted him as they reached the street. "For lunch. What do you say?"

John shrugged and bit back a smile. "Sounds great to me."

"We can meet by the Radcliffe Camera, and choose a place from there," she suggested. "I'll call you tomorrow morning so we can set up the time and everything."

"Brilliant," he told her and they shared a smile. "Well, I won't keep you any longer, then. You won't want to be late."

"I better not," Anna chuckled. "I'm really sorry about the number thing. I can't believe how stupid that is."

"Well, I'd say we're even, considering you had to listen to Vera's voice like that," John said, and Anna laughed. "Few people deserve that, you know."

She grinned. "I'll take your word on it. See you tomorrow, John."

"Until tomorrow, Anna," he said, slipping his hands into his pocket as they split into different directions.

* * *

Anna followed Mary into the house, smiling as she took in the luxurious décor; it was almost fate that Mary happened to get married to Matthew, who was a distant cousin and an old friend of Anna's from university – and who just happened to work at a law firm in Oxford. That said, Mary split her time between her flat in London and Oxford, though now Oxford was to be her permanent residence – for how long, Anna had no idea. She knew Mary would rather be in London, especially when her entire professional life was there; she was a famous designer by now, the personal decorator of many rich and famous people, herself being one of them.

"You changed the walls again?" Anna asked interestedly, taking in the grand living room. "I thought you were set on that other colour."

"I grew sick of it," Mary answered simply, taking a seat on the dark couch and Anna did the same. "Oxford is very dull, honestly. I spent the whole week in London, even if Matthew wasn't there. But then he isn't here now, so..."

Anna frowned. "Where is he?"

"At work. They're to choose another partner soon so he's focused on that," Mary explained. "Since he isn't around, I'm afraid we'll have to order pizza or something. You know I'm not the greatest cook. Want some wine?"

Anna made a face. "No, it's a bit early. Later," she answered. "So how's married life going? You have been living together for, what, two weeks now?"

Mary rolled her eyes at Anna's grin, but smiled all the same. "It's been lovely, but you know what they say about this honeymoon period. We'll see what I'll have to say next year."

Anna chuckled at her friend's tone, and Mary smiled at her.

"Oh, and before I forget, we're having a dinner party here next Saturday. You're invited, of course. We want to give the house a proper opening. It's nothing fancy or huge, just some close friends and family. Will you come?"

Anna smiled, though she knew very well that Mary's definition of fancy and huge was not the same as hers. Trying to remember if she had any commitments for the next week, she nodded at her friend.

"Sure," Anna said. "Can't very well miss this."

"You're a star, Anna. I shall need your presence in case anyone asks us about children – because it will happen, I'm sure. You know how relatives can be," Mary rolled her eyes, then sobered up and smiled excitedly. "Now, I've got some of the wedding photos here. Just samples, of course – we'll get the whole album and photos next week. They are marvellous."

Her friend stood up then, disappearing into the corridor after announcing she would get them. Anna sat back against the couch and sighed. She briefly wondered if she had done the right thing in agreeing to meet John for lunch – she still couldn't believe how stupid she had been, not noticing that she gave him the wrong number. And she could remember Mary briefly saying his ex-wife was a witch, so perhaps his excuse for not calling her was, in fact, true. She just wasn't sure what to expect of it now – was it a date? Or just a meeting between friends? She twisted her fingers nervously; they were hardly friends. Acquaintances. They had had fun at the wedding, and sure, they had sex before it, even, but it wasn't as if she could remember much of it. She could definitely remember some details quite vividly, however, and they were hard to ignore when John was around. But the truth was that they became lovers, if only for a night, before even knowing each properly. What would he expect from her? Surely he couldn't expect anything similar to that night in Ripon, at least not so soon…

Before she could continue that train of thought, a loud buzz reached her ears and she looked for her phone, unlocking it and finding a text from John.

_"__Perhaps we should stay away from pubs tomorrow, given our history with them so far."_

He finished his text with a smiley face and his initial, and Anna couldn't help but smile at that. Perhaps he wasn't expecting anything from her, after all – it wasn't like he was picking her up and taking her to a fancy restaurant. They could just know each other and be friends. It didn't matter that there was attraction – on her part at least –, men and women could be friends. There wasn't any wrong in it.

Mary returned a moment later, just as Anna was replying to John, and showed her a few wedding photos; Anna cooed at them, complimenting the photographer and the party and Mary. At some point, she saw herself in the background of one of the pictures, with John nonetheless; it had been taken during dinner, and she was laughing wholeheartedly – Mary commented on it but Anna simply shook her head and went to the next photo. She remembered the wedding very well, as well as her conversations with John and the one dance they had shared then.

And suddenly she wasn't sure if they could just be friends.

* * *

Anna chanced a smile at him as they sat across each other, having just ordered their food and she had been careful to choose a natural juice to go with her lunch – no alcohol today. She noticed he did the same, and it made her feel a bit better about all this; there didn't seem to be any reason to be nervous, anyway, and John had been nothing short of courteous so far. He replied to her smile with one of his own; she had been hesitant to suggest a simple Italian place just up in High Street, but he claimed it sounded fantastic and she was happy that he seemed okay with it.

It was nothing fancy, really – more of a family place at any rate, but she felt it fit into their mood right now. And she knew for a fact the food was good, which was always a positive sign.

"This is a nice place," he commented after a moment, looking out the window to the busy street. "You must know of all the good places around here, of course. Have you lived here for long?"

"Just about thirteen years or so," Anna said with a smile. "Since university. I got myself a scholarship and I couldn't let it go. I assumed I would eventually leave but this is home now."

"Well, it's a nice town for sure. Very friendly," John commented.

"Are you thinking of making it your permanent residence?" Anna asked with a smile. "This isn't exactly London, John."

"And I'm glad for it," he remarked. "I don't have much left in London. Well, there's Robert, but he's been staying at Downton more and more lately."

"You've been friends for a long time, then."

"Ah, yes. The girls were young then," John smiled. "I had just graduated, didn't have a lot of perspective, professionally speaking. Robert's father had given him the estate in Yorkshire to handle, and Cora had the idea of turning it into a visitation place. They needed a curator and someone to be a tour guide. I practically devoured their family's history to get the job," they laughed. "Had never been to Yorkshire, so it was an adventure. Of course there wasn't much to do there, but the rest is history, quite literally."

"You were a tour guide there?" Anna asked, an amused expression on her face. "I'm surprised we never ran into each other. I practically lived there when I was younger."

"The girls were small, though. I don't think Mary could have been older than eight or nine years old," he took a deep breath, the smile still on his face. "I stayed there for a few months anyway. Robert eventually helped me into getting a teaching position in London and I decided to keep studying all the while. You would think history is a limited field – what's in the past is done and nothing will change it. But it's amazing what you keep finding out."

"I quite agree. There's always something ancient and still new to us somewhere," Anna said. "So you and Robert just kept in touch?"

John nodded. "Yeah, he was often in London. Of course he has been busy with the estate nowadays. I hear it's been doing well."

"Yeah, it's a wonderful place," Anna commented. "Mary tells me they're booked full of weddings until Christmas."

"Well, it is the perfect setting," John stated.

Anna simply agreed, and it occurred to her that this did look like a date after all. They were talking about themselves over a meal, and it almost pained her to admit that she was enjoying herself. It was easy to talk to John, at any rate; he seemed to have an opinion on nearly everything, and even though he was a quiet man he appeared very easy-going about life in general. She tried not to think too much about how soft his hair looked.

"So I know you've been to Yorkshire and that you currently live in London," she started with a slight teasing tone in her voice. "I can't quite place the accent, I'm afraid."

"Ah, that's because there's a bit of everywhere here," he shrugged slightly. "I was born in London, and stayed there for quite a few years. Moved to Scotland with my mum to live closer to my grandmother during my teens, and again to London for university. Doesn't help that my mother was Irish and we travelled there often. I'm afraid if I ever had a Londoner accent, it has faded out. I'm stuck with a general accent for the rest of my life."

Anna chuckled. "I quite like it. Unlike you, I only need to say a couple of words and people figure out where I'm from."

"You can take the girl out of Yorkshire, but you can't take Yorkshire out of the girl," John said with a smile. Anna felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks. "It's lovely, so don't worry. It fits you quite well."

"Well, thank you," she said quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and meeting his smile with one of her own.

Lunch was spent between talks, their conversations approaching several different topics, and Anna was ashamed to admit that she never even noticed how much time had passed and how they were still talking. He insisted on paying for her lunch, claiming that he still owed her for the library booking, and Anna had argued, but before she could do anything about it he had gone and paid for their lunch. She wasn't too keen on saying goodbye, however, and agreed on taking a walk and showing him around the main streets. They ended up going inside a book shop – where John bought two books – and that led them to discuss literary tastes during their walk. It was mid-afternoon when they stopped in the square, just a few feet from their cars; the summer afternoon had it quite crowded, but they managed to find a bench to sit and talk some more.

"I'm still surprised that we only met for Mary's wedding, when you've been around for so long," Anna commented again, resting her head against her hand, supporting her elbow on the back of the bench.

"My ex-wife unfortunately created a bit of a distance between myself and the Crawleys," he took a deep breath and then gazed at her. They sat with some distance between them, though John's hand touched her elbow slightly on the bench. She could smell his cologne. It was intoxicating. "My own fault, of course. I rarely saw much of them while married to her. But we have been separate for years now, so I guess it's still surprising that we never met."

"It is. Even with Mary living in London," Anna pondered. "I rarely visited the Crawleys' place there, though."

"I don't suppose you had anything to do with Mary coming to live in Oxford, of all places?" John asked teasingly.

Anna let out a giggle. "Well, just a bit. It was unintentional. She already visited frequently but after the whole… incident, as I'm sure you've heard of, she wanted someone outside of the family to be her lawyer. Matthew was my friend and worked here. She needed someone who would be indifferent to the family, so to speak. It's not every day a man dies in the bed of an Earl's daughter."

"And that indifferent lawyer ended up her husband," John shook his head in wonder.

"Indeed. You can imagine how crazy London became for her," Anna continued. "She spent some time with me here. She wasn't as notorious here as she was there. She surprised me when she started dating Matthew, but I'm happy for them. In the end, notoriety wasn't that bad. It did help with her company, at any rate."

"That's true," John agreed.

Anna turned her eyes toward the square, focusing on two small children playing on the grass. She unconsciously let out a sigh, thinking of how just a few days ago she had let herself fantasize about a similar thing happening to her. It really sounded absurd now.

"Penny for your thoughts?" John's voice woke her from her reverie, and Anna smiled, shaking her head slightly.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking," she answered, looking back at the two children, now running towards their mother. Before either could reply, a phone started ringing. Anna looked apologetically at John. "I'm sorry, I forgot to turn it off."

"It's fine," John quickly said.

Anna frowned as she looked at the screen and saw her sister's name and picture. She cringed. "It's my sister, I have to take it."

"Please, don't worry about me," he said and Anna sat upright as she answered her phone.

"Hello, Sam?"

"Anna, where are you?" her sister's voice sounded slightly hysterical. "I've been sitting in front of your house for like ten minutes."

"I'm out with a friend," Anna explained, getting a bit worried. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming down here today?"

"Well, I didn't exactly plan it," Sam said.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Anna's questions were met with silence. "Sam, are you there?"

"It's a long story, Anna, but yeah, I'm fine," Sam quickly answered. "Are you coming here to let me in or should I just tell it over the phone?"

"Fine, I'm coming. I can be there in five minutes," Anna said quickly, listening as Sam ended the phone call before she could say anything else. Anna shook her head slightly and took a deep breath, turning to see John watching her. "I'm sorry."

John met her cringe with a smile. "It's fine. I had been thinking of inviting you for some tea, but some other time, then."

They stood up. "I really am sorry. My sister is a bit of a wild child," Anna said, frowning. "I never know what to expect from her. And it's quite odd that she's here without a warning."

They quickly reached Anna's car, much to her dismay. She looked expectantly at John, though she wasn't quite sure what to say now.

"It really is no problem. You should see what's going on with your sister," John said quietly, a small smile on his lips. "I had a lovely time, Anna. Thank you for making yourself available for me."

Anna giggled at his tone, shaking her head. "I'm hardly a very busy person. It was lovely seeing you again, John. We should do more of this."

"We should," he nodded, hands inside his jeans' pockets. He also looked a bit unsure. "I'll let you go now."

"Okay," Anna smiled brightly, unlocking her car and opening the door. "I'll see you around."

He smiled as she got inside her car, and she felt slightly disappointed, though she wasn't sure why. He waved once she started her car and she started driving with a confused expression on her face. It hadn't been a date; in fact, they had just been friendly with each other. She had no reason to expect anything else, really. Perhaps she had been the one to send the wrong message.

She pushed these thoughts aside for the time being, deciding to think about her sister instead; Sam was hardly responsible these days, and Anna knew their mother has been more worried than normal about her. She could only hope everything was all right.

* * *

John had just arrived home when the buzz from his phone woke him from his reverie; he and Anna had had a lovely day together, but he wasn't sure where they stood right now. She was such an interesting woman, and he could easily get lost in her conversations and opinions; he should be glad that she decided to give him another chance, despite how they stayed clear of very personal topics. It had only been a few minutes, but he already couldn't wait to see her again.

Yet their goodbye had been so fast, maybe because of her sister's impromptu phone call, but he wondered if perhaps he should have done more. There hadn't been any reason for a kiss or even a handshake, but it could have been more all the same.

He sighed as he looked at his phone's screen but smiled when she saw Anna's name.

_Just so you know, I would have accepted your tea invitation. X_

He could not help the huge grin on his face.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Things will start happening... soon! Thanks so much for reading! I hope their "date" wasn't too disappointing. Let me know what you think. :)

_Next chapter: Anna happens to go see one of John's lectures, we meet someone from Anna's past, and maybe things will get a little bit more... physical._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Longer chapter because I think you deserved it - thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you'll like this chapter and let me know your thoughts on it. Maybe next chapter will be even longer ;) Thanks for reading!

* * *

_Chapter Five_

Anna eyed her sister suspiciously as they sat in the kitchen of Anna's house, Sam's arm stretched on the table as Anna took a look at it; it was all bruises, black and purple – according to Sam, from a motorcycle accident. Anna could only shake her head at her sister, bringing her into the kitchen so she could at least clean up her wounds. Her other arm was also bruised, though not as badly, and Anna noticed her jeans had been ripped. Sam was currently silent, typing rather furiously on her phone. Anna took a deep breath.

"Aren't you gonna share any details with me?" her sister put her phone down and sighed loudly. "Sam?"

"I was with Graham," Sam mumbled. "We went down to London – he had a gig there last night. We had a fight this morning. I tried to get his motorcycle but it didn't end very well, did it?"

Anna frowned. "I thought you two had broken up."

"We did, but then we decided to give it another go," Sam said simply. "Anna, come on! That hurts!"

Anna pursed her lips, not giving much attention to her sister as she bandaged up her arm after applying some alcohol there. "Well, you should have gone to the hospital when you had your accident."

"They are just scratches," Sam said defensively. "Nothing serious."

Anna nodded thoughtfully, biting her lip as she thought of how to ask what she really wanted to know. Samantha was hardly good at making her own decisions, but things had never been this bad before this Graham came along; Anna herself had only met him a couple of times, and she took an instant dislike to the man – he was nearly six years older than Sam, and really had no prospect in life besides his so called band, which sometimes played in York and now, apparently, London, though she doubted it would lead to too much excitement for a country girl from Thirsk, she thought bitterly.

"Are you sure this was from the accident?" Anna asked slowly, mindful of her sister's eyes on her. "There was a bit of glass on your skin. It's a bit odd."

"Of course it was an accident," Sam said quickly, but she chose to focus on her phone then. "Really, what else would it be from?"

Anna took Sam's phone from her and reached for her other arm, applying some alcohol to it and earning another glare from her sister. She tried to keep her tone nonchalant. "I don't know. Something else could have done it."

The sisters locked eyes then, and Anna noticed Sam gulping slightly before shaking her head.

"Graham isn't like that, Anna. He loves me. He would never hurt me on purpose," Sam said quietly. Anna remained silent. "Why can't you trust him?"

"He's never given me any reason to trust him," Anna answered, a stern look on her face. "He always pushes you away and you go back to him and he plays with you. That's not how a relationship should work, Sam."

"We've had our problems and we've solved them. Well, most of them, anyway," Sam said with a chuckle. "Really, Anna, don't worry, I can look after myself."

Anna smiled at her, choosing to trust her sister's judgement, for once. She rolled her eyes, patted her sister's arm and stood up, pinching her cheek softly before walking towards the sink. "All right, but be careful," she warned her. "Did you have lunch or something? Do you want some tea?"

"Tea would be nice," Sam said, suddenly excited. "You look nice. I like the dress."

Anna smiled, turning around slightly to talk to her. "Thanks. It's kinda new, I guess. I only wore it once before."

"It really fits you. Makes your waist look fantastic," Sam grinned. "Special occasion?"

"No. I've told you, just lunch with a friend," Anna said evasively, focusing on putting water in the kettle. "Nothing fancy."

"Anyone I know?"

"No, it's a new friend."

"Is this friend a 'he'?"

Anna shook her head at her sister's insistence, turning around to look at her with an annoyed expression on her face. "Does it matter?"

Sam arched her eyebrows. "Not at all!" Anna rolled her eyes and snickered, turning her attention to the kettle again. "I feel like we haven't spoken in so long. Really, how's life been? You haven't called much since you visited us last month."

Anna pursed her lips. Between meeting John, having to take care of her mum whilst Sam was busy running around with Graham and coming back to Oxford only to have a pregnancy scare – and finding out she might have a few health issues ahead of her – life had been a bit chaotic. She sighed loudly, and shook her head; her sister and her mother didn't have to know all the troubles of her life. "It's been fine."

"But this new friend of yours, is his name John? Because he just texted you."

This made Anna turn around once more, and she narrowed her eyes to see her sister distractedly looking at her phone's screen. Sam giggled.

"I didn't look, I promise!" she said, holding up her hands in defeat. "So your new friend John, is he nice?"

"He's very nice, yes," Anna rolled her eyes.

"That's great, that you're dating someone. You haven't dated anyone since Darren, maybe? At least no one that you introduced to us," Sam said, clearly very interested in Anna's life now. "It's been, what, three years?"

"I'm not dating John," Anna said defensively. "And why does it matter that I haven't dated in a while?"

"It doesn't," Sam said quickly. "I'm happy for you though, I hope John is a nice guy."

"We're not dating," Anna repeated. "He's just a friend. I met him at Mary's wedding and he's in town now so we met up. It's nothing."

"Mary's wedding, huh?" Sam teased. "I knew you were getting some then. You looked entirely too flustered when you came home that one morning. All hot and bothered."

"Samantha!" Anna threw a table cloth at her, laughing nonetheless. "Will you stop it?"

"Ah, so I am not entirely wrong, am I?" Sam giggled. "Fine, I'll stop it. I'm sorry I interrupted your lunch date."

"It's fine, he understood. And it was not a date."

Sam nodded, a serious expression on her face. "Well, it was a bit late for lunch, anyway. Oh god, I hope I didn't interrupt something else. That would have been awkward!"

"We really had only had lunch, so no need to worry about that," Anna told her honestly. "I think I have some cookies here, do you want some?"

"Just the two of us, cookies and tea. If you start singing Spice Girls, this is 1996 all over again," Sam stood up and walked over where Anna was standing. She kissed her cheek not very delicately and Anna laughed. "I'm staying until tomorrow, just so you know. And I might want to try that dress on if we go out."

Anna shook her head and watched as Sam left the kitchen and started singing a nineties song.

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

* * *

John smiled and said his thanks as usual; the lectures had been going very well so far, and it wasn't lost on him that other members of the university had been there to watch. This could be the opportunity he wanted and needed, and he was happy that so far the themes he approached seemed to be of common interest of many other people. It was only the third day, however, and way too early to tell, he knew. Today, on the other hand, it hadn't been the members of faculty or the students that held his attention.

Anna had come to the lecture, for some reason he couldn't even imagine right now. He had noticed her early into his speech, and quickly noticed she was sitting with the same woman he had seen her with the other day, at the elevator. She seemed to take in his every word, and he had to admit she made him slightly nervous at first, before putting it to the back of his mind and doing his job as best as he could. His eyes kept meeting hers, however, but not once did she express anything other than attention – and he was mostly glad for it.

Their lunch together had been most enjoyable, but what with his now busy schedule they hadn't managed to meet anymore; aside from a few text messages, far in between, they had not communicated at all, and she hadn't even mentioned she would be attending one of his lectures. Now, as he organised his notes and prepared himself as a few students came to him with questions, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Anna said goodbye to the other woman; she made her way down the front of the class, standing behind the students, and only then he had enough courage to look up and smile at her. She smiled back, impossibly sweet, and he turned his attention to the young girl in front of him, full of questions.

A few minutes later, the group of students dispersed, and he finally took a proper look at Anna. She looked a vision in a flowery dress, certainly complimenting the season around them. It was very appropriate and still professional looking, and he tried not to think too much of the way her waist felt on his hands. Her hair was in a practical ponytail, and she gave him a little smile and watched as the students left the room, and he grinned at her.

"Alone at last," he arched his eyebrows, and Anna let out a somewhat nervous laugh. "It's a surprise to see you here."

"It was a bit of an impromptu decision too," she admitted with a smile. "I had just left an unfortunate meeting and remembered what your lecture was about. You may have just helped me into getting the library these new manuscripts, considering your lectures are religion themed. I thought it might be a good idea for them to see that it is something that intrigues people."

"Well, you can't have the Middle Ages without a lot of religion involved," he offered with a grin. "You'll have to tell me if I helped or not."

"I'm quite sure you just did," she adjusted her bag over her shoulder. "I just wanted to thank you, actually. They haven't been the most helpful with the archive now that we got a new building. The budget isn't on us anymore."

He closed his briefcase and they started leaving the room.

"And you're trying to change that, of course," he said knowingly, and Anna nodded. "Sounds very bureaucratic."

"It is," she agreed. "A bit too much, sometimes."

"Still, you should have told me you were coming," he remarked, and Anna frowned at his words, albeit smiling. "I would have put on a smart suit or something."

Anna giggled. A lock of hair fell over her face and she was quick to put it behind her ear, and he desperately wanted to let her hair loose then. Her voice brought him out from his reverie.

"Well, I think you're looking very adequate," she said, nodding in approval.

"I'm not sure what to take from that, but I'll see it as a good thing," he smiled. "So, I hear there is a big dinner this Friday. Mary was quite insistent that I should go. What can I expect?"

"Lots of people, no matter how small she says this dinner will be," Anna replied, without missing a beat. She winked at him. "A smart suit will fit in quite well."

"Oh, blast. I was going to wear this and hope it would be adequate," he sighed, and Anna chuckled again. "You are going, then?"

Anna nodded. "I am. But it's on Saturday, not Friday, I'm afraid."

John winced slightly and Anna laughed at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, there goes my trip to London to get some of my stuff here," he said as they reached the door. Anna's colleague was waiting just by the end of the corridor. "Not like I have anything better to do, really."

Anna chuckled softly, glancing at her colleague for a moment. "I know how you feel. It's tough being the new guy."

"I can manage," he winked at her.

"Of course you can," A smile graced her features, but she didn't meet his eye until she spoke again. "Seeing as you have nothing to do on Friday, maybe I can introduce you to a bit of Oxford. My friend is playing at a pub on Friday night. It's not much, he plays the piano and his friends are into jazz," she explained quickly. "But anyway, my friend Gwen and I are going to give them a bit of support. What do you say?"

"That sounds great," he said, surprised at her invitation.

Anna smiled brightly at him. "Great. Great, that's brilliant. He starts playing at nine so I'm guessing I'll be there by then."

"Okay, I'll have to check my busy schedule, but I'm pretty sure I'll be available at nine," he said jokingly, and Anna shook her head and chuckled.

"It'll be fun, you'll see," she said. "Well, I best go back or Elsie will decide not to get me those manuscripts," Anna cringed as she spoke, and John chuckled. "See you on Friday, John."

"Until Friday," he said, turning around with her, watching as she walked away, until a thought crossed his mind. "Oh, wait, what is the name of the pub again?"

She turned around, a big grin on her face. "Right, ah, it's the Red Lion. At the High Street."

He found that the grin on his face matched hers.

* * *

John made his way through the several tables, his eyes quickly finding Anna and Gwen, deep in conversation. Anna shook her head and said something, and her friend only laughed. He was having a good time with them, he had to admit it, though it wasn't a surprise. The pub was crowded, the band was quite good, and Anna's friend was a lovely nice girl. They were still laughing when he reached their table, and Anna was blushing slightly, but he decided he would rather not know the reasons. Gwen was certainly very honest with her friend, from what he had gathered, and seemed to be a very outspoken young woman. He handed them their pints and sat down beside Anna. They thanked him quietly, and he had the distinct feeling he had been the subject of their previous conversation.

"I had no idea it would be this crowded," Gwen commented. "Guess William and his friends are becoming famous."

"Or maybe it's just the rowing competition starting tomorrow morning," Anna said.

"I did a bit of rowing myself during my time at university," he commented, and both women looked at him. "I wasn't that bad, honest."

"And you could give these Oxford boys a run for their money, right?" Anna rested her elbows on the table and held her chin in her hands, a glint in her eyes.

John let out a laugh. "About twenty years ago, I definitely could."

She had a radiant smile on her face, and he couldn't help but think she looked particularly beautiful tonight. Her hair was loose over her shoulders, and she was wearing casual clothes, looking very much comfortable. They had already been there when he arrived, and it had been Gwen who invited him to sit with them, though he noticed the questioning look between the women. He could easily get lost in Anna's eyes, but Gwen's voice brought him back.

"Anna told me you met at Mary's wedding," she said after taking a big sip of beer. "Rumour has it at the office that Mary was very angry because the life size ice sculpture of her and Matthew wasn't done."

Anna snickered. "Who told you that?"

"Matthew's secretary," Gwen said, as if the woman in question was considered a trustful source.

John laughed. "I think it's just a rumour."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I guess. I still can't believe I missed that wedding. It was all over the news. Did you have a nice time, John?"

"It was quite nice, most of the time," he nodded. "Anna even made me dance once. It was dreadful."

He had a mischievous look on his face and Anna gasped immediately, smacking his arm playfully.

"It was most certainly not," she rolled her eyes, then looked at Gwen. "He was the one to ask me to dance. And it wasn't that bad."

He took a sip of his beer. "It wasn't bad."

She rolled her eyes again, and he found Gwen watching them closely. She went on to ask more questions, mainly about himself, and he answered them all gladly, albeit feeling a bit uncomfortable with all the inquiring. Anna told her to stop once or twice, before mentioning John's lectures, which got Gwen's attention. After a few minutes, Anna excused herself to use the loo and he watched as she walked away, noticing the sway of her hips and how her tight jeans fit her ever so well. He was in dangerous territory here. Very dangerous indeed. Averting his eyes before Gwen could notice, he took one last sip of his beer and watched the band for a moment.

"They're very good," he commented.

Gwen nodded. "Oh yeah. They're great. And you're gonna love William, he's a real nice guy. I feel like you might need some guy friends around here if you're gonna stick around."

John laughed. "I can manage, no worries."

"Do you plan on staying here, then?" Gwen asked. "I know Anna said your lectures only last two more weeks."

"Well, they've offered me nothing so far, but I do have a meeting about this next week," he said. "We'll see how it goes."

"Anna will be pleased if you stay," Gwen said, and he couldn't help the surprise upon her words.

"Will she?"

"Of course she will, silly," she rolled her eyes. "Men can be so clueless."

He smiled, catching Anna's gaze as she started to make her way to them. "She's a lovely girl."

"That she is," Gwen agreed. John frowned as a man suddenly stood up and started talking to Anna, just a few tables from their own, but the music was a bit loud and he couldn't know what they were saying. Gwen followed his gaze. "Oh, no."

"What?" John asked immediately. Anna and the stranger seemed to be just talking.

Gwen made a face and looked mildly worried. "That's her ex-boyfriend, Darren. Can't believe he's here. Anna is not enjoying it."

"Should I go there and say something?"

"Nah, she's a big girl, she can handle it," Gwen said, but kept looking. John saw the man grip her forearm and stood up immediately. "Okay, yeah, now's a good time to go there."

Trying to keep it cool, John walked quickly to where they were standing as Anna obviously told the man to get off her; John was by her side in no time, and there was no hesitation as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and the man stared at him in surprise. He was younger than him, closer to Anna's age, he supposed, and quickly let go of Anna's arm.

"John," Anna breathed, looking up at him with somewhat scared eyes. He decided to focus on the man for now.

"Is there a problem here?" he felt Anna's warm body against his, drawing away from the other man.

"No, no, I was just talking to Anna," he smiled nervously. "Talking about old times. I'm Darren, by the way."

"John," John said stiffly, not bothering to offer his hand.

Anna sensed the strained voices and looked up at John with a tight smile. "Let's go back to our table then."

"Of course," Darren said, running his finger through his hair. "Good to see you, Anna. And nice meeting you, John."

"Sure," John mumbled as they walked away and he tightened his grip on Anna's shoulder, stroking it slightly. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded. "Talk about an unfortunate meeting."

Gwen was quick to ask the same to her friend once they got back to their table, and though Anna repeated that she was fine, he knew she looked uncomfortable. Seeing as they had all finished their beers, he mumbled an excuse about having to get up early in the morning and asked if they needed a ride. Anna looked downright relieved and said that it would be nice, whilst Gwen kept complaining about Darren.

"I know he's harmless, but what an arse," she said as they left the pub. "I thought he had moved to the north somewhere, what's he doing here anyway?"

"He still has friends here, I suppose," Anna said quietly as they reached John's car and he opened the passenger door for her and the backdoor for Gwen. "Thank you, John.

"No problem," he said with a smile, looking around briefly before getting into the car. He turned to Anna as he put on the seatbelt. "I take it it wasn't an amicable breakup then?"

Before Anna could answer, however, Gwen spoke.

"Well he didn't make it easy. Kept showing up at Anna's door, begging her to take him back," Gwen shook her head. "It took months for him to actually disappear. That was like two years ago, right, Anna?"

"Almost three," Anna sighed. "Are you gonna stay with me tonight, Gwen?"

"If you don't mind," the redhead said with an annoyed tone. She then explained, "My roommate has her boyfriend over tonight. I'd rather not be around the drama."

John chuckled and started the car. The journey to Anna's place was quiet. Gwen complained a bit more about Darren and her roommate, but he noticed Anna kept twisting her hands nervously, telling him the directions and agreeing when Gwen mumbled something about Darren – while the redhead was clearly angry, Anna looked worried. It didn't take him long to arrive in their destination; when he asked if this was the place, Anna smiled gratefully at him. It was a small house, one of those detached ones, but welcoming and he could definitely see her living there. The street was completely empty, and he let out a deep breath of relief.

"I'll walk you to your door," John said as Gwen opened the back door of the car; Anna was about to interrupt him, he knew, so he spoke first, "I insist. I just want to know you're safe. It's quite late anyway."

Gwen was already waiting patiently in front of the door when they reached her. With his hands on his pockets, he took a quick look at the well cared garden and smiled. Anna opened the door and Gwen smiled at him.

"It was nice meeting you, John," she said. "Until some other time."

"Have a good night, Gwen," he said as she went in. Anna took a deep breath and turned to look at him properly now.

"I'm so sorry about all this," she said as soon as Gwen had disappeared. "I tricked you into a bad evening, I'm afraid."

"Oh, don't say that. I did have fun," he assured her with a smile. "Your friend plays very well. I'll just have to meet him some other time."

"William's great. You'll like him," she said with a smile. "I'm only sorry you had to meet Darren. He shouldn't be here."

He frowned at her choice of words, but shook his head and smiled. "I must say I'm not looking forward to seeing him ever again."

That elicited a giggle from Anna. John chuckled and scratched the back of his neck, a bit unsure of what to do next. She still looked like an absolute angel, even with her hair slightly dishevelled, and her eyes seemed infinitely bluer than ever. She shook her head, balancing her hair over her shoulders. She looked a bit more confident now, not nervous like she was just minutes before. John took a deep breath.

"Let's hope we won't have to," she said resolutely.

John took a deep breath. "Will you be all right, then?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine," she shrugged. "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, thank you, but it's quite late," he declined, though with a heavy heart. "I'll just get going."

She nodded. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow then? At Mary's dinner."

"You most certainly will," John said. "Goodnight, Anna."

At this, Anna stepped in front of him, and before he could realise it he felt her lips on his cheek. If he could just hold her and maybe turn his head a little bit… But it was over before he knew it, and he stood dumbfounded at her doorstep for a moment, staring at her flustered face as she stepped away from him. He missed his chance.

She gave him a shy smile. "Goodnight, John. And thank you, for tonight."

And she closed the door.

* * *

Anna leaned against the door, sighing heavily. Her mind was currently a blur with thoughts of John; he confused her more than anyone she had ever met. She had had such fun with him at the pub, and he was so protective of her and offered them a ride home – and she was quite sure she would have invited him in even if Gwen wasn't there, but he declined. Maybe he thought that the reason she had been so uncomfortable around Darren was because she still had feelings for him – but that couldn't be more wrong, really.

Anna slowly made her way through the narrow hall, calling for Gwen. Darren was another problem altogether. He wasn't supposed to be in Oxford; he had left years ago and she certainly did not expect to see him again-

A knock on the door startled her and she frowned, turning around and thinking that it might be John – though why, she had no idea. Just as she was opening the door, it crossed her mind that it could be Darren, and she stopped suddenly. Darren couldn't be there – he didn't know where she lived, not anymore.

Shaking her head slightly, she unlocked the door again, though a bit nervously, and John was right in front of her again. She felt relieved all of sudden, and smiled at him. Before she could say anything, however, he was speaking.

"I'm sorry."

Anna frowned. "What for-"

She couldn't finish her question, however, as he took a step closer and she felt his lips on hers almost instantly. It took her half a second to recover and close her eyes, and suddenly he was everywhere. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she opened her mouth for him, tasting him for what felt like the first time – and it was intoxicating. He felt warm and safe, and solid and familiar, and he kissed her ever so softly and ever so slowly and she never wanted to let him go.

He pulled away after a moment, and she missed him already; he stroked her cheeks and she opened her eyes slowly, blinking heavily. She was met with a somewhat dreamy look on his face and giggled.

"I hope you aren't apologising for that," she mumbled.

John shook his head. "All right then, I won't. I hope you don't think me too cheeky."

She looked up at him, realising again how much taller he was. He brought his arms to her waist and pulled her close to him. "Just a little bit, but I think I like it."

Anna stood on her tiptoes and this time she was the one who kissed him, just as languidly as before, slowly becoming familiar with one another. She could feel herself getting lost in him again and she did not fight it at all, but Gwen's voice reminded her that they were not alone.

"Anna, what are you... Oh, okay," John pulled away from her and Anna nearly giggled as she saw his cheeks turn crimson. "Sorry! Just forget that I'm even here."

Anna turned slightly. "Just a minute, Gwen."

She could only see a wisp of red hair as Gwen practically ran into the house again, and John laughed.

"I should get going," he looked down at her and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Let me pick you up tomorrow. For Mary's dinner."

Anna nodded and felt him kiss her temple, _stifling a happy laugh_. "All right."

"I'll be here at 8," John said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," and she gave him another kiss.

They parted quickly, and she watched as he walked away, and he waved at her with a grin on his face. She closed the door slowly, just as he was driving away, and leaned against the door once more, this time with a smile on her lips. She let out a loud sigh and tried to contain her feelings, but it was hard too. No mixed signals now – or at least she didn't think so.

"Wow," Gwen's voice shook her out of her daydream. Her friend crossed her arms and smirked at her. "Silly grin, red lips, daydreaming. The prognosis is worrying."

"Oh, stop it, you," Anna waved her off, passing by her into the living room, but knowing fully well Gwen would demand details and tease her a bit more. For once she wouldn't mind.

* * *

John wasn't sure why he was surprised that the small dinner party Mary had mentioned turned out to be in fact quite crowded. He was glad he had taken Anna's advice on it and chosen a grey suit with matching pants, as Mary never half did anything. Anna was wearing a black dress for the occasion, and he couldn't help but notice that she looked beautiful in it, right after she had opened her front door, with a shy smile on her face. He had been quite worried about how to greet her after the way he turned up at her door the previous evening, but these doubts were quickly diminished when she gave him a light kiss on his lips, as a thank you for the compliment, he imagined.

He felt like a teenager all over again, from the sweaty hands to the most minimal details that occupied his mind. He had caught her hand when they walked to the car, but by some silent agreement they did not hold hands as they arrived to the party. Whilst they sat together during dinner, and chatted along the Crawleys and their acquaintances, he was sure they looked nothing more than friends.

Nevertheless, once dinner was over they were separated; Anna sat with Mary and their other friends somewhere outside and he remained inside, in the living room, chatting with Robert, who seemed quite worried about the financial problems the estate had been facing for some time now.

"It's quite a mess," his friend sighed. "The estate might be our ruin or our salvation. It's hard to tell. And we have Edith's wedding coming up soon, which doesn't help any matters."

"Surely you're not paying for it all on your own," John reasoned. Robert shook his hand.

"No. but meanwhile the girls blame me and keep spending more than they should," he lamented. "And Cora and I… Well, she's understanding of the situation. But we've had better days."

"I'm sure you'll get through it," John said. "You always do. But if there's anything I can do-"

"Don't worry, mate, it'll get better," Robert nodded, a smile crossing his face. "So tell me, is everything settled with Vera?"

"The divorce is final, but we need to sell the flat in London," John let out a deep breath. "Hopefully that won't take long."

"And are you planning on staying here in Oxford?"

"If they'll have me, I'll stay," John said quickly. "It seems like a good place to live. And I'm not sure London is the place to be with Vera still there. But don't worry, I'll find myself a proper place here instead of using of your good friendship."

Robert let out a laugh. "Don't worry about that. How's the boat treating you, by the way?"

"It does the trick," John smiled. "I'm getting better at driving it."

"Well, you were always the best out of the two of us," Robert patted his back. "I'm going to go talk to Matthew. Get some legal advice. Shouldn't take long," he stood up. "Make yourself at home."

John shook his head as Robert left, and stood up, walking towards the open French doors. The living room was empty now, as most of the guests remained in the dining room, and he decided to go outside for a moment and take some air. It was a pleasant summer night and it seemed a shame to waste it. There was a big balcony outside, and he was surprised to see a lone figure there, though he was quite happy to see her; Anna stood with her back to him, leaning against the wall and watching the night around her. He took a few steps, trying to remain silent, but she turned her head slightly at the sound of steps and smiled at him.

"Hey, stranger," she said quietly as he stood beside her, hands in his pockets.

"Hello," he said. "I thought I had seen Mary kidnap you sometime earlier."

"Ah, yes," Anna chuckled. "She was needed in the dining room and said she would come back soon, but that must have been at least ten minutes ago."

"Hard playing the hostess," he commented, and they grew silent, watching the garden in front of them. "Mary must have worked hard to get the garden like that."

"It was her project for a few weeks. I love gardens," Anna sighed wistfully, "and flowers. Though I prefer wildlife to this."

He rested his hands on the wall and fought the urge to get a cigarette, unsure of how Anna felt about it. His mind wandered briefly to the previous evening and their goodnight kiss; though he wasn't sure what possessed him to do that then, he was sure whatever it was wasn't with him tonight. He felt unsure about the relationship with Anna, whatever it was – the chance meeting with her ex last night seemed quite unresolved and left him with an uneasy feeling.

He startled when he felt her hand in his arm, turning him slightly and slowly making her way to lace her fingers with his. Her eyes remained trained ahead, but he thought her breathing was a bit shaky.

"So how are you finding the party?" her voice was soft against the night silence.

He pondered for a moment. "Rather dull, I must say. What about you?"

"Awfully serious. I'm an outsider here and not really enjoying it," she nodded with a mischievous look on her face. He stepped just a bit closer to her.

"It's still quite early though," he sighed. An idea crossed his mind. "Would you be opposed to us leaving here and going somewhere else?"

She frowned. "Where?"

John grinned. "It's a surprise. But I think you would like it."

She smiled, at last. "All right. You've got me curious, at the very least."

"Don't expect too much," he said as he guided them back into the house, already planning how to make a quick escape. "I'm just not ready to take you home yet."

"It's a good thing I feel the same, then," they shared a smile.

A night like this shouldn't be wasted.

* * *

_Next chapter: My lips are sealed about where John and Anna go after the dinner party! ;) But... Anna goes to the doctor again and we'll learn a bit more about Darren._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** New chapter for the weekend! Sorry that it took a while, real life got in the way, but here it is. I googled a lot about certain insects in Britain (won't give anything away in the Author's Note!) and it seems that these are rare but can be found there so... let's just go with it, okay? ;) Hope you'll like it! Rating has just changed, eeek! So let me know what you think of it. But if you want to skip it, just skip the second scene and there you go. :) Thanks for reading!

* * *

_Chapter Six_

Anna looked around curiously, trying to hide her surprise at their current location. She could hear music playing from somewhere behind them, along with laughter and voices. The water was calm around them, she could barely feel the boat swaying. After a second, she realised she was still holding the hand John offered to help her in, but decided she didn't mind holding it for a bit longer – especially when he made no movement to stop her.

"You live on a boat?" she asked him incredulously, and John smiled.

"Houseboat, mind you," he said, and she chuckled. He leaned against the wooden wall. "And it's just temporary."

She grinned, letting go of his hand as she took a step further – it was a narrow boat, by all accounts, but she decided it was bigger than it really looked. She took a look around, seeing that in fact the boat with the party was not far behind them, and it seemed quite crowded.

"I think that's over populated," Anna said with a giggle, turning around to see John unlocking the door.

"College kids. Every Saturday, I swear," he shook his head but grinned at her. "Well, we won't be around for that."

He motioned for her to follow him and she did, stopping by the doorway as he took a seat in front of the wheel – it seemed quite complicated to drive a boat, she noticed, but John certainly looked like he did it every day. Her eyes roamed beyond the tiny room they were in, taking notice of a narrow corridor; on one side she could see a table, stacked full of books, and on the other a small couch – which also held books. She smiled at this, but averted her eyes quickly when they focused on the little that could be seen of an unmade bed, at the far end of the boat.

"Sorry about the mess," John said with an embarrassed smile. "I didn't expect to bring anyone here."

"It's quite all right," Anna said, leaning against the door. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Though I do think it is very cheeky of you to bring me to your place so soon."

He flustered immediately. "What? Anna, I didn't mean-"

"Relax, John, I'm just kidding with you," she laughed.

He glared playfully at her just as a smile broke into his features. "Okay, ready to part, then?"

"Definitely," Anna smiled.

And they slowly started to move forward, behind the loud music and the lights of the other boats, and the street lights as well. Anna took a deep breath as the soft breeze hit her, and closed her eyes, listening to the lazy, quiet sounds of the water lapping against the boat. It was quite calming, and she felt very content. She opened her eyes again, looking around as they passed by one or two houses, before looking at John.

"Don't worry, it's not that far away," he told her. "I know this isn't the most conventional home but it has its advantages."

Anna smiled. "I like it. What brought this on, though?"

"Robert, of course. It's his boat," John shrugged. "And since I'm not sure how long I'm staying, it was a good idea. Though I have bumped my head on the doorway more than once."

Anna laughed, looking up at the doorway; even with heels on, she wasn't anywhere near bumping her head. "I wouldn't have that problem."

"I imagine you wouldn't," John chuckled. "Aside from that, I really can't complain about the boat. If anything, it's an interesting way of getting to know the city, even if it is from afar."

"That's an interesting notion," Anna smiled. "Quite different from London, anyway."

"That can be a good thing, though," he said, his gaze on the river ahead of them, and his cryptic tone confused Anna for a moment.

Not for the first time she wondered what had him leave London like that; Mary had told her he had been working and living there for many year, and it seemed odd that just the divorce would make him want to leave everything behind and start anew – at least, that is what he seemed to be trying to do, anyway. Anna shrugged it off – surely he must have a good reason for it. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when the boat slowed down and some movement caught her eye, on the river bank. She stepped out of the cabin, her eyes widening in deep wonder, and a smile broke on her features.

Fireflies – hundreds of them, in the midst of trees and vegetation, not far from them at all. It almost looked like the stars were moving and blinking at her, and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. She turned to look at John, now standing in the doorway, his eyes focused on her.

"John, this is… This is amazing," Anna said, turning to watch the fireflies once more. There didn't seem to be any houses near them, or other boats, really, and it seemed quite amazing that this spot was yet undiscovered, considering they couldn't have been far away from downtown.

John smiled. "I thought you would like it."

Anna sat back on the bench, mesmerised by the fireflies; she turned to watch John after a moment, just as he worked on the moor and boat finally stopped, only swaying gently against the water. He hopped inside the boat just a few moments later, clearly having developed some practice in mooring and driving the boat. Anna smiled as he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Would you like something to drink?" he offered. "I'm afraid there's no wine or alcohol, for that matter. But I can offer you some water, or coffee – maybe tea?"

She smiled – he was endearing. "Tea would be nice, thank you."

* * *

Anna watched as John drank his tea, the darkness was enveloping and the only sounds she could hear were those of crickets and some music in the distance. He looked completely relaxed here, more than she had ever seen, and she tried to hide a chuckle when she remembered how embarrassed he had been when she dragged him to the dance floor, so many weeks ago. He looked at her then, a smile gracing his features, though with a frown of curiosity.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just… I was remembering the night we met," she said simply, and John cringed.

"If that makes you laugh, I should be worried."

Anna giggled. "No, it's not that. I was too insistent and you didn't want to dance," she explained, shaking her head. "I'm sorry about that. I'm afraid the other details are a bit hazy."

"And that's why alcohol isn't that good all the time," John said, taking a deep breath. "I hadn't drank that much in a long time. I'm usually much more controlled – to drink socially seems much more acceptable. It was bad enough when I was married. I'm afraid it constantly drove me to alcohol, and that is never a good option."

Anna frowned. "Really?"

He shrugged. "My wife and I weren't very good for each other, I'm sorry to say, but it took us a long time to realise that," he took a sip of his tea. "I don't feel the need to drink nowadays, and that's how I like it. A pint or two with friends, and that's it. I suppose attending a wedding drove me back to old memories and unfortunately you seemed to be in the same boat that night."

"Something like that," Anna traced the pattern of the table in front of them. "I suppose it was an opportunity to let go for a bit. I've just… been on some very awful dates lately. I've been trying but it seems quite hard, ever since Darren and I broke up. I'm really sorry you had to make up that act for me yesterday, by the way, but I must say I was thankful."

John smiled. "It was no trouble."

"It did make me uneasy to know he was around, so I'm glad we left when we did," she sighed. "Gwen didn't tell all there is to him, really."

"I figured it as much but you don't have to tell me anything, Anna."

She gazed at him and smiled. "There isn't much to tell, really. He was quite jealous and he did not accept the break up. He would follow me around and call me daily, sometimes in the middle of the night. When he broke into my flat one day, I got a restraining order against him. It might seem a bit dramatic now, but... It freaked me out," she admitted, shaking her head slightly.

"Not dramatic at all," John frowned, sounding very serious. "How did he take it?"

Anna let out a humourless laugh. "Not very well. Gwen was my flatmate at the time – we got quite a scare one morning, and the police were involved. After that, he left town."

"I'm glad. Let's hope he's not back for good," John said. "Do you think he'll stick around?"

Anna shook her head. "No, Gwen says he's gone back to Manchester today. So I think everything's fine."

"If he shows up, don't hesitate on calling me," he insisted. "Okay?"

"Okay. But I don't think he will," Anna turned, realising they were sitting rather close to each other. "But thank you."

"Anytime," he said, bringing his hand to squeeze her shoulder lightly. He left his arm there, around her shoulders, and Anna felt butterflies in her stomach. "I'll just go and drive the boat as fast as possible."

Anna giggled. "I'm afraid that isn't much."

"No, I'm afraid not," he cringed, but laughed and sat back on the bench.

Anna let the silence sink in, not feeling uncomfortable at all; the fireflies still danced around them, and she let out a content sigh, sliding just a bit closer to John. She had no idea what was happening between them or would happen, even, but she felt at peace in his presence, his words comforting and his silence soothing. She idly wondered what time it was. It seemed to stand still on John's boat, where fireflies could easily mix up with stars in the sky.

"Do they ever leave?" Anna asked quietly, turning to John.

"Yeah, they're usually gone by the middle of the night, from what I've seen," he smiled. "Do you want to hear a story?"

Anna chuckled, enamoured by the mischief in his eyes. "Okay."

"There's a Japanese tale about a couple who really wanted a child, but somehow couldn't get pregnant," he started. "So one day, when the moon was bright, the woman prayed and asked for a child, and the next day a little girl showed up on their doorstep. They raised her, believing the moon gave them the child, with the promise that when she grew up she would have to leave," he turned to look at her and smiled, "When she did grow up, they all knew she had to leave them and answer the moon's call, but the child was as sad to go as her parents. So when she went back to the sky, her tears stayed in the form of fireflies, illuminating her family as much as the stars did every night."

"That's beautiful," Anna said, "and sad. But still hopeful somehow."

His eyes glistened against the faint light that surrounded them, and he nodded almost imperceptibly so, just as their breaths mingled and the distance between them was shortened. Anna felt drawn to him, attracted to him in a way she had never felt for any other man, or perhaps it was just because of the unusual start of their relationship, she wasn't sure; as their lips met in a kiss neither chaste nor innocent, she let herself drown in him again. His kiss was intoxicating her in the best possible way, and she felt a bit light-headed, though not for lack of air.

She pulled at his shoulders, bringing him closer to her as the kiss deepened and they explored each other's mouths. His lips were moist and he tasted of tea and peppermint, and she found that all too endearing. They slowed down after a moment and she brought her hands to his hair, marvelling at its softness as his hands caressed her neck. They pulled apart to breathe, and when she opened her eyes he was already looking at her, as if expecting a reaction. Anna giggled.

"I've wanted to do that for ever since yesterday," she admitted in a whisper, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her closer to him and planting a kiss on her neck.

He let out a chuckle and he brushed his lips against hers. "Me too."

He peppered her with kisses, his hands now stroking her waist, but she soon managed to bring his lips next to hers, more desperate than before – the room seemed to spin around her and she clutched at his shoulders, their hips bumping slightly, the kiss turning urgent and fast. His hands were feather-like against her, and she found that his shirt was definitely in the way, desperate to feel more of him. Moving slightly and turning towards him, he took her cue and held her legs, pulling her onto his lap swiftly, and Anna bit back a moan when she felt his lips on her earlobe, feeling the hairs on her skin standing up.

John chuckled as he pushed escaping strands of her hair out of the way and turned to kiss her again. Anna took a deep breath, her fingers tracing a path on his face. He gave her a sweet kiss then, his hand moving to stroke her thigh and Anna sighed into his lips, enjoying the sudden change of atmosphere.

She smiled at him when he pulled away, quite enjoying the sight of his hair all dishevelled and the feeling of his solid shoulders beneath her hands. Anna shifted slightly, a thrill of excitement filling her as she felt the evidence of his arousal near her thigh. She kissed him again and he squeezed her waist.

"Would you like to go inside?" he whispered, and Anna nodded slowly.

They stood up, and Anna grabbed her heels from the floor as John took the teacups from the small table and they went in; she barely felt the sway of the boat now, used to it, and was glad for the warmth inside. It was very narrow, she realised, as she placed her shoes in a corner and watched as John put the teacups in the sink – the kitchen was a tiny little thing, really, and there seemed to be books everywhere – she could see his laptop on the kitchen table, along with several papers and more books.

She shared a smile with John as he moved to lock the door, and she suddenly felt a bit uneasy – it wasn't as if they had been dating, and she didn't really know much about him. Doubts entered her mind but they vanished as soon as he turned around, a small smile on his face, but he also looked uncertain and suddenly shy. She shook her doubts away, finding it endearing that he seemed as embarrassed as she did, and he stopped in front of her. She reached for his hands and stood on her tiptoes, kissing his lips again. His hands found their way to her hair.

"Anna," he mumbled as she ran her hands over his chest, "are you sure about this? Because I can drive you home right now if you want to."  
She shook her head immediately slightly frustrated at his lack of action. "I'm sure."

And then he was pulling her towards him, leaning down to kiss her, his hands roaming her body as they stood nearly as close as it was possible. Anna gasped for air as he pulled away and kissed her jaw and neck and she started to unbutton his shirt, untucking it from his pants and getting frustrated when she couldn't focus on the tiny buttons whilst feeling John's lips on her collarbone, and he made her laugh when he nuzzled against her neck.

"You're discovering all my weak spots," she said jokingly, finally managing to unbutton his shirt.

He chuckled against her skin, and she laughed again.

"I hope to discover even more of those," he growled and she shivered in anticipation.

They walked slowly, sharing heated kisses along the way – after discarding his shirt, Anna was having a hard time concentrating as her hands ran over the dark hairs on his chest and his own hands cupped her breasts. It wasn't long until they reached the bedroom, however, and by then they had both managed, with each other's help, to get rid of John's trousers and Anna's dress. His hands were everywhere, from her thighs to her bottom to her hair and she could feel herself getting more lost in him with every gasp and every touch. The urgency was becoming almost unbearable, and she pushed him onto the bed, straddling his hips and kissing him.

John squeezed her bottom, and she could feel his hardness against her – there were only her knickers and his boxer shorts between them now. She sat up, smiling down at him, her hand stroking his length through the clothing. He rested his head back on the bed, groaning, before opening his eyes and smirking at her.

"You are a naughty girl, Anna May Smith," he mumbled, bringing his hands to massage her breasts.

Anna moaned against his touch. "So you still remember my middle name."

"I wouldn't forget it," he said, fumbling with the clasp of her bra before finally removing the offending article.

He sat up then, replacing his hands with his mouth as he sucked at her breasts, and Anna had to bring her hands to his shoulders to balance herself. His touch was magical on her skin, and his lips were a wonder on their own – she was glad they hadn't drank because she definitely wanted to remember this afterwards. It was almost unbearable to wait any longer, and she took matters on her own hands, pushing him down again and taking off his underwear. She sat again, this time right on top of him, and moved her hips against his hot skin – this time he was not the only one who moaned.

John reached for her, turning them around in a swift motion, and Anna yelped at that, giggling slightly afterwards; he kissed her knee, slowly making up his way to her thighs and to her hips and she wriggled underneath him, just as he reached for the hem of her knickers and slowly took them off. His eyes roamed over her before gazing at her face, and she pulled him towards her; he grasped at her hips, his hand finally finding her centre and she moaned against his mouth.

"Beautiful," he breathed.

"John," Anna groaned, her hips moving of their own accord. "_Please_."

He nodded almost imperceptibly against her, his hips perilously close to her. She could feel him pressing against her and melted into his kiss, almost forgetting herself - until she remembered.

"John, we need, ah," she gasped, "protection."

He pulled away from her, his eyes widening at her words.

"Right, of course," he said quickly. "I'm sorry, Anna, I'm not one to simply forget... I have one in my wallet."

She let out a laugh at his flustered tone, watching as he kneeled back on the bed and looked at the floor. She bit her lip as she admired him, but she couldn't help but laugh again as he stood up and went on searching for his wallet. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she took advantage of the moment to catch her breath.

"I think we lost your trousers in the corridor," she offered, watching as John quickly fled the small bedroom to look for the condom. He came back a moment later, ripping the package open and smiling at her. She giggled as he joined her in bed again, kissing her laughter away.

"God, you're gorgeous," he whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair, giving him a moment to get everything sorted.

He was back to her just a moment later, and he parted her legs wider before slowly sliding into her. They both moaned at the connection, and Anna shifted, getting used to the feeling of him inside her. John took some hair out of her face and kissed her, moving against her slowly, his thrusts short and careful. Soon they managed to find their rhythm, and his hands were always touching the right places and he kisses still set her on fire.

He reached between their bodies, and he was flooding her, filling her and making her complete in all the ways she wasn't. She could hear her name on his lips and it was the most arousing sound she had ever heard, and soon she could hear nothing more; she wrapped her legs around his waist and looked at him – there were only the two of them, and nothing else mattered in the world. His thrusts grew faster and deeper and her body tightened around him as she let go of everything. He followed her close behind, his hands holding her hips close to his, his kisses setting her on fire. As he came to a stop and rested his weight above her, she decided it was a very delicious feeling.

John rolled from her a few kisses later, as they struggled to catch their breaths. Anna let out a heavy breath as her chest heaved from exertion, and she chanced a look at him – he was trying to catch his breath, and ran her fingers through his hair. He flashed her a smile and she replied with one of her own – this time neither of them were drunk, and she was suddenly becoming very aware of her state of undress, of how the sheets were pooled over the bottom of the bed and of how the sweat was now slowly cooling down on her skin. Pushing these thoughts aside, she accepted John's touch as his hand caressed her cheek softly, and she bit her lower lip for a second before sharing another smile with him.

She rolled over on her side, reaching for John's hair, and he did the same, pulling her close to him as the front of their bodies met again. He kissed her then, this time more chastely so, playing with her hair with one hand. Anna sighed into his mouth as they pulled away, kissing the spot beneath his ear before taking a deep breath, inhaling his scent. His other hand, stroking her hip, was a bit distracting.

"So, Miss Smith," he whispered to her and she pulled away so she could see his face. "I hope you won't blame this on your inebriated state."

Anna giggled, touching her nose with his. His hand moved to her waist. "No, I won't. And I hope you won't either, especially when we are both very sober."

"Indeed," John chuckled. "Will you stay this time? In the morning?" he added in a quieter tone, nuzzling her neck.

Anna pondered his question before answering. "Do you want me to stay?"

He paused to look at her, and she only saw honesty and perhaps something more in his eyes. "I do."

She smiled. "Then I'll stay."

They sealed the deal with another kiss.

* * *

John smiled as Anna slowly opened her eyes, blinking twice before noticing where she was and he bit back a laugh as she sighed and closed her eyes again, as if not yet ready for the morning. He kissed the back of her neck and she leaned back on him more fully. He hadn't been awake for more than fifteen minutes himself, and this time he wasn't ashamed to stay in bed and watch Anna sleep – so unlike the first time.

"How is it morning yet?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

He chuckled, squeezing her waist. "Time goes by fast when we're having fun."

This time, she laughed and opened her eyes. "Don't I know it?"

She turned around in his arms, biting her lower lip softly and bringing her hands to his chest. Her blue eyes were never brighter than in the morning light and she looked gorgeous with her hair all over the place and a slight blush across her cheeks.

"Good morning," John said, stroking her hair.

"Good morning," she purred, and he absolutely had to kiss her lips then.

They gazed at each other for a few moments, her hands tracing his cheeks and hair and he stroked the silky skin of her back beneath the sheets. It looked like it was sunny outside, judging by how lit up the room was, even with the curtains closed.

"You haven't fled the room yet," he commented with a smile. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, I did promise I'd stay, and I'm never one to break a promise," she arched her eyebrows, and he laughed at her tone, kissing her again.

They were lost in a world of kisses and caresses until Anna's stomach growled and she blushed furiously, but he laughed out loud.

"I best get started on breakfast," he gave her a little peck on the lips. "Before you decide to go because I didn't feed you."

She shook her head. "You silly beggar."

He sat up, reaching for his boxers right next to the bed and putting them on, feeling Anna's eyes on him as he dressed. He turned around and kissed her soundly.

"I'll go prepare us something," he said. "You can get something to wear in the first drawer, if you'd like, though I don't think I would mind seeing you walking around just as you are."

He winked at her and she giggled. He went to the kitchen, taking a quick look at the minibar and deciding he could fix them some scrambled eggs. In truth, he could barely believe this happened – he wasn't sure where this put their relationship, but he was quite sure they couldn't just be friends now, and they would have to talk about it eventually. Anna was far too enchanting for that – far too good for him, but he just couldn't get enough of her. Despite them having been together once before, this really felt like the first time – and he had to shake his head at himself. Now he sounded like an 80s film.

Just as the coffee was brewed she showed up, all clad in an old Cambridge t-shirt – that showed off her legs quite beautifully, he noticed – and he couldn't help but snicker at that.

"An Oxford girl in a Cambridge t-shirt," he shook his head amusedly. "You never fail to surprise me."

Anna arched an eyebrow, leaning against the counter, nearly bumping into him. "That's what I get for sleeping with the enemy."

He laughed out loud at her remark. "Well, you look better in it than me anyway."

She giggled. "Anything I can do?"

"No, miss, everything is taken care of," he answered. "Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Coffee," she said resolutely. At his questioning glance, she added, "I need to wake up properly."

He poured Anna a cup, noticing how she added two sugars and just a bit of milk, and turned to take care of the eggs and the toast. She watched him closely, smiling whenever he looked at her, taking small sips of coffee and slowly erasing sleep off her face. She was beautiful, and he was starting to feel the uneasiness of the situation.

"So, ah… Do you have any plans today?" John said hesitantly.

Anna pursed her lips. "I'm supposed to have lunch with Gwen later. Why?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering," he answered rather hastily, turning his attention to the eggs. "Because, well, we don't… I mean, I don't know a lot about you and I… I would like to."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I guess I would like to see more of you," he said. "Not as friends. Take you out on a proper date. Find out what's your favourite season, learn how you take your tea – I just learned how you take your coffee," he added, and Anna smiled. He cringed and shook his head – best to keep his attention on breakfast. "I'm not usually good at this."

He felt her hand on his arm and looked at her; she was still smiling.

"I think you're doing fine," she said, sounding very certain. "And I'd like that too."

"I'll go to London today, get some of my things," he explained, already working on when they could go out together. "I'm not sure I can take you out today, though."

"How about tomorrow night? That way it's comfortable for both of us," she suggested and John nodded. "We're settled then. Would you like some coffee too?"

"Yeah, sure," John said with a smile, taking the toast from the toaster and placing the plates on the small table.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Black, no sugar," he answered mechanically, but then stopped to look at her.

She was grinning at him as she poured him a cup. "See? A small bridge is crossed."

He decided to kiss her instead of taking the cup.

* * *

Anna sat in the waiting room, flicking through a fashion magazine. Her phone beeped and she saw a text from Mary, replying quickly before turning her mobile off. She reminded herself to call John when she was out of the doctor's office, to say that she might have to work a bit later than usual today. She hoped she wouldn't have to cancel their date, but she wasn't about to cancel her doctor appointment for that. For some reason, she was a bit nervous, but knew that it was likely that everything went okay with her tests.

She decided to think about John instead. She had admitted to Gwen that they had spent the night together, and she was surprised at how well her friend took it – after Darren, Gwen wasn't the most supportive person when it came to men. And John had been nothing but a gentleman – he had called her last night and they talked quite a bit, and she already missed him terribly. Indeed, if their night together was just the beginning of what would come, she was very eager to see how things would go in the future.

The nurse called her and soon she was face to face with Dr Palmer, once again. She crossed her legs nervously and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling.

"Hello, Anna," he said with a small smile. "We have all your tests here, and they weren't just a few. I hope you weren't too worried."

"Just a little bit," she admitted.

"Have you been taking the hormone control pills?" he asked as he flicked through some papers.

Anna nodded. "Yes, did not miss one day."

"That's good, we'll keep that up for now," he laced his fingers together and looked at her. "You do have a cyst on your left ovary. It's not small but since it seems to be a single one I think it'll fade out in time, with the medication you've been taking."

"Okay," she said, but the doctor didn't seem to be done yet.

"There's a new factor here, though," he added. "You have developed endometriosis."

"What?" Anna sat back on the chair, surprised. "But how? I mean, last year everything was normal."

"These things don't appear to have a specific cause, I'm afraid. It's nothing to worry about for now, if we start treatment soon," Dr Palmer said. "Our first option is to control your level of hormones and more medicines."

Anna nodded. "That seems okay."

He nodded. "Indeed, but you are stage two right now, and the endometriosis seems to have developed quickly. I'll want you here in three months so we'll monitor it. If it doesn't work we might have to try surgery, which is not something I would advise for you. The surgery will take care of it, but there is a risk of infertility. So we will try to avoid that."

"Of course," she frowned.

They talked some more, discussed more of the matter, as well as Anna's family history and the chances of the treatment with hormones alone working. Anna was worried about it all, though the doctor seemed quite optimistic. As she was leaving, he added, with a relaxed smile:

"Don't worry, Anna. We're lucky we found it early. We'll just have to work on getting it taken care of and then monitor you more closely for the next few years."

She smiled then, agreeing with him. She could only hope he was right about it.

And she realised she should be very thankful for John Bates showing up in her life when he did.

* * *

_Next chapter: Mary finds Anna and John in a compromising position, and maybe Anna will reveal something about her pregnancy scare._


End file.
